Hungary has taken a firm stance against Ukraine’s halt of Russian oil shipments via the Druzhba pipeline, with Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto declaring that the country „will not give in to this blackmail.” In response to the supply disruption, which began on January 27 following what Ukraine described as a Russian drone attack on pipeline infrastructure, Hungary announced it would block a 90 billion euro EU loan for Ukraine until oil flows resume. Both Hungary and Slovakia, which rely heavily on Russian oil through this route, have accused Ukraine of delaying the restart for political reasons, alleging a violation of the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement.
To address the immediate shortage, the Hungarian government issued a decree to release approximately 1.8 million barrels of crude oil from its strategic reserves, with state-owned oil company MOL granted priority access until April 15. However, Croatia’s JANAF pipeline operator contested the necessity of this move, stating that significant quantities of non-Russian oil are already being transported to MOL via its pipelines, with additional tankers en route. JANAF emphasized that oil transport has continued without delays, making the tapping of reserves unnecessary.
Meanwhile, MOL has diversified its supply chain by ordering tankers carrying oil from Saudi Arabia, Norway, Kazakhstan, Libya, and Russia to sustain its Hungarian and Slovak refineries. The first shipments are expected to arrive at Croatia’s Omisalj port in early March, with a subsequent 5-12 day transit period to reach the refineries. Slovakia has also declared an oil emergency, pledging to release 1.825 million barrels following a request from its MOL-owned Slovnaft refinery. Despite these measures, Hungary maintains substantial reserves, with data indicating a 96-day coverage of crude oil and petroleum products as of late January, underscoring the geopolitical tensions and logistical challenges in the region’s energy sector.
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