According to Gergely Gulyas, Chief of Staff to Prime Minister Viktor Orban, Hungary has signaled that it may suspend electricity and natural gas deliveries to Ukraine if crude oil flows through the Druzhba pipeline are not restored.
The dispute revolves around the ongoing halt of Russian oil transported via the Druzhba pipeline, which supplies the last two EU refineries still processing Russian crude—one in Hungary and one in Slovakia. Transit was interrupted on 27 January after Ukraine reported drone damage to pipeline infrastructure. Since then, both countries have sought alternative sources to secure feedstock for their refineries.
In response, Hungary began releasing strategic oil reserves following a request from MOL, while Slovakia approved a 250,000-ton loan from its emergency stocks. Both governments accuse Ukraine of delaying the restart of pipeline operations for political reasons. Earlier this week, they also announced a suspension of diesel exports to Ukraine.
Gulyas noted that Hungary is coordinating closely with Slovakia and is assessing additional countermeasures, including a potential cutoff of electricity and gas supplies to Ukraine if oil transit does not resume. Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico similarly raised the possibility of halting emergency electricity support. Market data shows that Hungary and Slovakia together accounted for roughly 68% of Ukraine’s electricity imports this month, with Hungary providing around one-third of Ukraine’s current gas imports. Ukrainian officials, however, deny that political motives are behind the delay in restarting Druzhba flows.
At the European level, Hungary and Slovakia have requested permission from the European Commission to import Russian crude by sea despite EU sanctions. One potential route is the JANAF pipeline through Croatia, with Croatian authorities noting that additional volumes could technically be transported via this corridor, though shipments should not involve Russian oil.
