Hungary Threatens to Cut Electricity and Gas to Ukraine

Budapest accuses Kiev of political blackmail as Druzhba pipeline remains closed.

On Thursday, Minister of the Prime Minister’s Office Gergely Gulyas announced that Hungary will cut electricity and gas supplies to Ukraine if Kiev does not resume the transit of Russian oil through the Druzhba pipeline, halted after a Russian attack.

“We have cut diesel supplies and are considering the same possibility in the case of electricity and gas,” he said, accusing Ukraine of attempting to blackmail Hungary by cutting off oil deliveries.

Gulyas said that Prime Minister Viktor Orban considers it “unacceptable” that Ukraine has not resumed the transit of Russian crude to Hungary.

According to Gulyas, Kiev “is intentionally causing damage to two EU member states, Hungary and Slovakia,” thereby violating EU rules it should respect if it wants to join the bloc.

On Wednesday, Orban said that he had suspended diesel exports to Ukraine following the halt in oil transit to Hungary.

“The Ukrainians’ decision to block oil supplies to Hungary through the Druzhba pipeline is blatant political blackmail. They are trying to pressure us to support their accession to the EU and release funds that belong to Hungarian families,” Orban posted on X.

Gulyas reiterated that the Druzhba pipeline is technically capable of resuming the transit of Russian crude.

On Wednesday, Hungary and Slovakia activated their emergency oil reserves amid the interruption of Russian oil deliveries since late January due to Russian attacks. Currently, Hungary buys at least 65% of its oil and 85% of its gas from Russia.

Slovakia and Hungary have asked Croatia to allow the transport of Russian crude through the Adria pipeline, which connects the two countries to the Adriatic Sea. Zagreb has refused, arguing that importing Russian oil is not justified.

On April 12, Hungary will hold parliamentary elections, and Orban’s Fidesz party has made criticism of Ukraine a central element of its campaign, accusing the country of seeking to interfere in the vote.

teleSUR/ JF

Source: EFE