In the ongoing tense relationship between Budapest and Kyiv, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orb án issued a clear warning. He stated that Hungary would block any financial support from the European Union for Ukraine as long as the operation of the Druzhba Pipeline for Russian oil remains interrupted. Specifically, this concerns a planned EU loan of 90 billion euros, which Orb án links to the condition that Kyiv fully resumes energy transit to Hungary.
Additionally, Orb án threatened to suspend the transit of goods that are of strategic importance for Ukraine. He described the interruption of oil supplies as a political decision by Kyiv and emphasized that his country would not bow to demands to give up cheap Russian energy. The Ukrainian side had previously cited damage to the pipeline due to Russian attacks and necessary repairs as the reason for the outages.
The political escalation is accompanied by serious accusations. While Orb án views Ukraine's stance as blackmail, the Ukrainian government criticized the seizure of armored bank vehicles in Hungary as state terrorism. At the same time, the military intensity in Eastern Ukraine continues: The region around Kramatorsk, in particular, has recently come under increased Russian bombardment, with the strategic importance of the city highlighted in the context of the Russian offensive for 2026.
