Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, an ultranationalist and one of the European Union’s leaders closest to Moscow, announced today that Hungary will suspend gas exports to Ukraine until Kyiv resumes the transit of Russian crude oil to Hungary.
“Until Ukraine delivers the oil, it will not receive gas from Hungary,” Orbán said in a video posted on social media.
The Hungarian leader explained that gas supplies would be blocked gradually but did not specify a timeline for the suspension.
In October 2025, Hungarian gas accounted for almost half (46%) of Ukraine’s total imported gas, according to data from the Oeconomus Foundation for Economic Research.
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Kyiv claims that the transit of Russian oil through its territory toward Hungary and Slovakia is currently halted due to damage to the Druzhba pipeline caused by a Russian attack in late January. Budapest, however, accuses Ukraine of politically blocking the transit as a form of leverage.
In February, Hungary and neighboring Slovakia — both heavily dependent on Russian energy supplies — decided to suspend diesel exports to Ukraine in retaliation for the disruption of crude oil deliveries by Russian energy giant Gazprom.
Orbán also maintains a veto on a €90 billion EU loan to Ukraine, which has been under Russian attack for more than four years.
The European Commission has prepared a proposal to permanently ban Russian oil imports, but implementation has been delayed due to high oil prices following the Middle East conflict. Hungary opposes this proposal.
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Previously, the EU imposed sanctions banning Russian oil imports, which need to be renewed every six months with unanimous approval from all member states. Hungary and Slovakia have exemptions allowing them to continue purchasing Russian oil.
Hungary is holding legislative elections on April 12, and the Ukraine issue is a central focus of the campaign for Orbán’s Fidesz party. Orbán has accused Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky of attempting to overthrow his government.
Recent polls indicate that Fidesz may lose power after maintaining a large majority for 16 years, with the opposition Tisza party, led by conservative Péter Magyar, leading. The latest poll by the 21 Research Center shows Tisza with a 10-point lead, supported by 51% of Hungarians versus 41% for the ruling party.
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