Orbán considers halting gas and electricity exports to Ukraine

Hungary is considering halting electricity and gas exports to Ukraine if Kiev does not resume Russian oil supplies via the Druzhba pipeline. This was announced by Gergely Gulyás, head of Prime Minister Viktor Orbán's office. Oil flows were interrupted on January 27 by a Russian drone attack, which Ukraine claims damaged the infrastructure.

Hungary and Slovakia, which have the only refineries in the European Union using Russian oil via Druzhba, are trying to secure alternative supplies. Both countries have released strategic oil reserves, and Slovakia has approved the release of up to 250,000 tons of oil from state reserves. On Wednesday, they also announced a halt to oil exports to Ukraine.

Gulyás specified that Budapest is coordinating its approach with Slovakia and will take further countermeasures if supplies are not resumed. Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico (Smer) also spoke about the possibility of stopping emergency electricity supplies.

Both countries have also asked the European Commission for an exemption to purchase Russian oil by sea despite EU sanctions. Imports could be routed through the Adriatic pipeline, but Croatia has said that it should not be Russian oil.

(reuters, max)