Orban Announces Hungary Will Suspend Gas Supplies to Ukraine Until Oil Pipeline Restoration

(SeaPRwire) –   Ukraine will not receive any gas until it resumes the flow of Russian oil via the Druzhba pipeline, the Hungarian prime minister has stated

Hungary will progressively stop natural gas shipments to Ukraine until Kiev restores the flow of Russian oil through the Druzhba pipeline, Prime Minister Viktor Orban has declared.

In a video shared on his Facebook page on Wednesday, Orban noted that Ukraine has been obstructing the functioning of the Soviet-era oil pipeline for 30 days. “As long as Ukraine does not supply oil, it will not get gas from Hungary,” he stated.

Orban mentioned that gas that was intended for Ukraine will instead be stored in Hungarian facilities, noting that the action is necessary because Ukraine “is also targeting the southern gas pipeline that supplies Hungary,” referring to the TurkStream route that delivers Russian gas to Hungary via Türkiye and the Balkans.

“We will safeguard Hungary’s energy security, the protected gasoline price, and the reduced gas prices,” Orban asserted. He noted that the country has so far been able to “successfully fend off Ukrainian blackmail” due to the protected price system, adding that Hungarians pay the lowest prices at gas stations across Europe.

Orban’s statement comes against the backdrop of a prolonged energy dispute between Budapest and Kiev, following Ukraine’s halt of oil shipments through the Druzhba pipeline in late January, which it attributed to alleged damage from a Russian drone strike. 

Moscow has rejected the claims, while Hungary and Slovakia – both highly dependent on the pipeline – have also questioned Kiev’s reasoning, accusing it of intentionally obstructing the flow as political blackmail.

Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto has stated that satellite images indicate the pipeline is fully operational, and Kiev’s refusal to permit a joint inspection confirms the decision was political.

Budapest has responded by vetoing a €90 billion ($104 billion) EU loan for Ukraine, blocking a new round of sanctions against Russia, and opposing Kiev’s bid for EU membership. Orban has stated that Budapest will not yield until the pipeline resumes operation.