Hungary has officially stopped supplying natural gas to Ukraine.
Hungary has temporarily suspended gas supplies to Ukraine until the Druzhba gas pipeline is operational again.
According to RIA Novosti on March 25, Hungary has officially suspended gas exports to Ukraine until the transit of Russian oil via the "Druzhba" pipeline is restored. This announcement was made by Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán.
"To break the blockade and ensure the country's energy security, Hungary needs to implement new measures. Therefore, we will gradually cut off gas supplies until Ukraine resumes oil shipments," Prime Minister Orbán stated in a video message on March 25.
The Hungarian Prime Minister also noted that Kyiv is seeking to attack the energy supply pipelines to Hungary from the south. Therefore, according to Orbán, building national reserves is a top priority at this time.
"Instead of switching to Ukraine, we will now focus on filling Hungary's own gas storage facilities," Prime Minister Orban affirmed.
Earlier, at the end of January, Kyiv stopped pumping fuel through the "Druzhba" pipeline to Slovakia and Hungary, citing infrastructure damage caused by Russian attacks. In response, Budapest immediately suspended diesel supplies, vetoed the EU's 20th round of sanctions against Moscow, and blocked a €90 billion loan that the EU was planning to provide to Ukraine.
Furthermore, in recent weeks, according to reports from Hungary, Ukrainian armed forces have intensified attacks on the infrastructure of the Blue Stream and TurkStream pipelines. The TurkStream pipeline plays a crucial role in Hungary's natural gas supply.
Budapest claims that the European Union and Kyiv are attempting to implement an energy blockade. Regarding Ukraine specifically, Hungary also alleges that Kyiv is interfering in the parliamentary elections scheduled for April.
