Hungary will continue to block European Union aid to Ukraine until Kyiv allows Russian oil to transit through Hungary, according to Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjártó. In an interview with Hungarian radio station ATV, Szijjártó outlined Hungary’s stance on the issue, which has led to a stalemate in the EU’s disbursement of €6.5 billion from the European Peace Fund. This fund is intended to compensate EU countries for the military aid they have provided to Ukraine.
The dispute has caused delays in the release of the funds for several months. At a recent meeting of EU foreign ministers in Brussels, Hungary’s opposition once again prevented an agreement on the disbursement.
“How would it be if we contributed to the payment of €6.5 billion while Ukraine threatens the security of our energy supply?” Szijjártó was quoted as saying by RFE/RL’s Hungarian Service.
On July 22, Hungary and Slovakia requested the EU’s assistance in persuading Ukraine to resume the transit of Russian oil company Lukoil’s oil to Eastern Europe. In June, Ukrainian authorities tightened sanctions against Lukoil, halting oil transit through the Druzhba pipeline. According to Bloomberg, Szijjártó warned Ukraine of potential legal action if a compromise was not reached. He argued that Ukraine’s actions violated its association agreement with the EU and harmed the economies of Hungary and Slovakia, both of which had been granted exemptions from EU energy sanctions.
Hungary imports about two million tons of oil annually from Lukoil, constituting one-third of its total oil imports. Slovakia imports about 2.5 million tons, which makes up 45 percent of its oil imports.
