BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP) 鈥� Hungary threatened to block a new package of European Union sanctions against Russia and stall efforts to help Ukraine until Russian oil deliveries to Hungary resume.
The EU’s foreign ministers are set to meet in Brussels on Monday to discuss the bloc’s 20th round of sanctions against Moscow, a measure they hope will be approved in time to coincide with the fourth anniversary of on Tuesday.
In a video posted to social media Sunday, Hungarian Foreign Minister P茅ter Szijj谩rt贸 said he would block the sanctions package, accusing Ukraine of deliberately holding back Russian oil deliveries through the Druzhba pipeline.
鈥淲e will not consent to the adoption of the 20th package of sanctions, because we have previously made it clear that until the Ukrainians resume oil shipments to Hungary, we will not allow decisions that are important to them to be approved,鈥� Szijj谩rt贸 said.
For the sanctions to pass, the 27-nation bloc needs to reach a unanimous decision.
Russian and Slovakia have been interrupted since Jan. 27 after what Ukrainian officials say were that damaged the Druzhba pipeline, which carries Russian crude across Ukrainian territory and into Central Europe, leading to rising tensions between Budapest and Kyiv.
Nearly every country in Europe has significantly reduced or entirely ceased Russian energy imports since Moscow launched its on Feb. 24, 2022. Yet Hungary and Slovakia, both EU and NATO members, have maintained and even increased supplies of Russian oil and gas, and received a temporary exemption from an EU policy .
Szijj谩rt贸 also said Saturday Hungary will to Ukraine meant to help Kyiv meet its military and economic needs for the next two years.
Earlier in the week, Hungary and Slovakia announced they would both to Ukraine over oil interruptions, and Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico on Saturday said his country would cut off emergency electricity supplies to its embattled neighbor if oil deliveries were not restored by Monday.
Russian missiles and drones in recent months have pounded Ukraine鈥檚 energy grid, in one of the country鈥檚 coldest winters on record.
In a statement on Saturday, Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry said it 鈥渞ejects and condemns the ultimatums and blackmail” by Hungary and Slovakia, and that the two countries were 鈥減laying into the hands of the aggressor.鈥�
鈥淪uch actions, in the context of massive and targeted Russian strikes on Ukraine鈥檚 energy infrastructure and Moscow鈥檚 attempts to deprive Ukrainians of electricity, heating, and gas during extreme cold weather, are provocative, irresponsible, and threaten the energy security of the entire region,鈥� the ministry wrote.
Hungary鈥檚 nationalist Prime Minister Viktor Orb谩n, who maintains the closest relationship with the Kremlin of any EU leader, has long argued Russian fossil fuels are indispensable for his economy, and that switching to energy sourced from elsewhere would cause an 鈥� an argument .
Orb谩n has frequently threatened to scuttle the bloc鈥檚 efforts to sanction Moscow over its invasion, and has blasted attempts to hit Russia鈥檚 energy revenues that help finance the war. He has also to provide military and financial assistance to Ukraine.
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