Hungary to block 90 billion euro EU loan to Ukraine in Russian oil dispute

Al JazeeraEN 2 min read 100% complete by By ReutersFebruary 20, 2026 at 09:44 PM

AI Summary

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Hungary has threatened to block a 90 billion euro EU loan to Ukraine, citing halted oil shipments via the Druzhba pipeline. Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto accused Ukraine of "blackmail" and violating the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement after oil flows stopped on January 27th, reportedly due to a Russian drone attack. Hungary and Slovakia, reliant on Druzhba for Russian oil, have blamed Ukraine for delaying the restart of flows. To address the shortage, Hungary announced it would tap into its strategic oil reserves, though Croatia's JANAF pipeline operator stated that there was no need to do so as they are transporting non-Russian oil for MOL Group.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

Reuters 30% Croatia 40% MOL Group ×250% Slovakia 50% Russia ×360% JANAF ×360% European Union ×370% Peter Szijjarto ×270% Druzhba pipeline ×480% Ukraine ×680% Hungary ×790%

Keywords

ukraine 90% hungary 90% eu loan 90% russian oil 80% druzhba pipeline 80% oil shipments 70% oil transit 60% strategic reserves 60% janaf pipeline 50% eu-ukraine association agreement 40%