The article discusses Hungary's blockade of an EU sanctions package against Russia, linking it to the resumption of Russian oil supplies via the 'Družba' pipeline, raising concerns about political manipulation within the EU.
Four years after Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the European Union (EU) finds itself in a situation where one member state can paralyze collective decisions to support Kyiv. Hungary has blocked yet another sanctions package against Russia and threatens to delay a 90 billion euro loan to Ukraine, compelling Brussels to seek complex legal workarounds. Officially, Budapest's actions are tied to the suspension of Russian oil supplies through the 'Družba' pipeline, but diplomats and analysts have no illusions – this is a poorly disguised political drama.
On Sunday, Hungary publicly announced its intention to block a new, already the 20th package of EU sanctions against Russia and halt efforts to assist Ukraine unless Russian oil deliveries to Hungary through the 'Družba' pipeline are restored. The sanctions package was set to be adopted at an EU foreign ministers' meeting in Brussels on Monday, just a day before the fourth anniversary of Russia's full-scale invasion.
The flow of oil through the 'Družba' pipeline, which supplies both Hungary and several other European nations, has become a critical point of contention. Hungary's actions underscore the challenges the EU faces in maintaining a unified front against Russian aggression, calling into question the effectiveness of its sanctions regime and the influence of individual member states' political agendas on collective European security actions.
