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Orbán accuses Ukraine of “oil blockade” as Middle East tensions and V4 rifts deepen Hungary’s energy fears
Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has accused Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky of placing Hungary under an “oil blockade” by halting supplies through the Druzhba pipeline, warning that the move threatens both national energy security and fuel prices.
Speaking at an anti-war gathering of the Digital Civic Circles in Esztergom on Saturday, the prime minister said Kyiv’s decision to shut down deliveries amounted to political pressure on Hungary.
“We will break this oil blockade,” Orbán declared, adding that Hungary would not accept what he described as Ukrainian demands. “If you give in to blackmail once, you will be blackmailed again.”
Refinery concerns and price risks
Orbán said he had started the day at the refinery in Százhalombatta, where he was briefed on the situation. According to him, there are no technical obstacles to restarting deliveries, suggesting the stoppage is politically motivated.
He stressed that the refinery cannot process just any type of crude oil, making Hungary particularly vulnerable to disruptions. Without sufficient reserves and preparation, he warned, petrol prices could have surged above HUF 1,000 per litre.
As we wrote before, it is unclear why the lack of Russian oil would push prices to HUF 1,000 per litre. Hungarian energy company MOL Group reportedly buys crude transported through Druzhba at a discount compared with supplies arriving via Croatia’s Adria pipeline. However, this lower cost is not passed on to consumers. Instead, the extra margin is largely absorbed through windfall taxes imposed by the state.
Middle East conflict raises further energy risks
Orbán also linked Hungary’s energy concerns to escalating tensions in the Middle East following Israeli and US strikes on Iran. He noted that Iran is one of the world’s largest oil producers and plays a critical role in global supply routes, including maritime chokepoints that could be closed in the event of wider conflict.
Why should Ukraine facilitate the transport and sale of Russian oil that funds Russia and its’ military? It is complete insanity to ignore that. Blockade Russian oil! Buy your stinking oil from non-Russian sources. Hungary has the Adria pipeline available. There are no excuses and Hungary is under no threat of being without oil supply.
Notice Mouton does not post on weekends. Mouton we are waiting for you to get back to your Russian workplace first thing Monday morning to post. Don’t be surprised to see posts showing up from Mouton around 10am Central European Time.
Oh , my Dear Larry – you watched a few too many James Bond movies.
…and you’ve read too many absurd conspiracy theories and outlandish Russian propaganda media. Of course, they don’t mention who the head of the Russian central bank is.
Well, Viktor is a king also in blackmailing so we can trust him. 😀
Iran has become another ally of Russia after Syria and Venezuela, which has experienced firsthand that Putin’s “friendship” has its limits.
As Politico writes, at crucial moments, the Kremlin’s response to the problems of allied countries has been extremely sluggish. For example, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad learned in late 2024 that Russian support did not guarantee his regime’s survival when rebel forces stormed Damascus. Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, who has been in a US prison since earlier this year, also failed to wait for the Kremlin to show up in his hour of need.
“And on February 28, Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was assassinated during an assault on Tehran, and now Iran threatens to become yet another example of the discrepancy between the Kremlin’s loud declarations in the face of American hegemony and the real world, where that hegemony is increasingly manifesting itself in all its glory,” the article notes.
Even last summer, during Iran’s 12-day war with Israel, which included a massive U.S. attack on Iranian nuclear facilities, senior Russian officials also issued statements of condemnation but took no action.
In the months that followed, Moscow tried to minimize the damage. It defended the Islamic regime’s right to suppress protests, and in December Russia agreed to provide Tehran with advanced man-portable anti-aircraft missile systems worth 500 million euros. Moscow has also publicly positioned itself as a mediator between the US and Iran:
“But when it came to the decisive moment on Saturday, Moscow’s military aid to Tehran was out of the question.”
At the same time, Russia is not formally obliged to do so, Politico points out. Although Russia and Iran signed a strategic partnership pact in April 2025, it did not include a mutual defense clause.
Russia’s inability to intervene in Iran is undoubtedly a blow to the country’s reputation on the world stage. But it could also bring some benefits, Politico notes.
Moscow will hope to divert attention away from itself by emphasizing the West’s – and especially the United States’ – failure to live up to international norms. It is also likely to reinforce the Kremlin’s tough stance on Ukraine.
And if U.S.-mediated peace talks in Ukraine fail, Moscow will have its arguments ready.
Fyodr Lukyanov, a Russian foreign policy adviser in the Kremlin, has even suggested that events in Iran show that diplomacy with Trump has been “completely pointless.” And Moscow seems to be hoping that it is this message that will reach its remaining allies, rather than its own inaction, Politico notes.
And what does all this mean for Orban? He has to act very carefully so as not to end up caught in the crossfire! He would actually need to make a radical change to eliminate the many contradictions in his actions. But can he do that after he has so foolishly maneuvered himself into such a corner? Probably not, especially since elections are coming up in April.