The European Commission will present its proposal to permanently ban Russian crude oil imports on 15 April 2026 — three days after Hungary’s parliamentary election. According to EU sources, the timing is no coincidence.
Oil to be phased out by the end of 2027
Under the Brussels proposal, Russian crude imports into the EU would be completely phased out by the end of 2027. The Commission had already committed to the oil ban in December 2025, when the European Parliament approved the gradual phase-out of Russian gas. What is new now is the concrete date and the planned implementation.
The measure would remain in force even if sanctions linked to the war in Ukraine were eased or lifted following a potential peace agreement.
The future of the Druzhba pipeline
The decision particularly affects Hungary and Slovakia, which still rely heavily on Russian crude, mainly via the Druzhba pipeline. Supplies have been disrupted since 27 January 2026, after Kyiv reported that a Russian drone strike had damaged infrastructure in western Ukraine.
On this issue, Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that repairing the pipeline would come at “too high a price” in the lives of the workers involved. Hungary and Slovakia, however, blame Ukraine for the prolonged disruption.
EU 1%, Hungary 92%
By the final quarter of 2025, the European Union had reduced its share of Russian oil imports to just 1%. Hungary moved in the opposite direction. Before the full-scale invasion, its dependence stood at 61%; by 2025 this had risen to 92%, effectively turning a temporary EU derogation into a long-term business model.
Hungary’s state-linked refiner MOL admitted in November that it could meet up to 80% of its supply needs via Croatia’s Adriatic pipeline.
Bulgaria demonstrates that the exemption was not indispensable. Sofia voluntarily ended Russian crude imports on 1 March 2024, its refinery switched to non-Russian oil, and prices did not surge.
Hungary would not be able to block the decision
The oil ban would follow the same legal mechanism as the Russian gas ban. Under EU law, it can be adopted by qualified majority voting and does not require unanimity. This means that one or two Member States — such as Hungary and Slovakia — cannot veto the decision.
When the gas ban was adopted on 26 January, 24 Member States voted in favour, with only two opposing. The new oil embargo would be introduced under the REPowerEU framework using the same procedure. Although Budapest and Bratislava have indicated they would challenge the measure in court, the regulation would remain in force during legal proceedings.
Why this timing?
The 15 April date is politically significant as it falls immediately after Hungary’s election. This ensures the oil ban does not influence the campaign or become a central issue, while leaving any incoming government room to adjust to the new framework, Reuters reported.
Source: Euromaidenpress.com
In case you missed it:
Orban’s actions are perfectly logical, as it’s crucial to support his biggest ally, Russia, even by throwing a wrench into the EU’s plans.
However, he’s carelessly overlooking one crucial point: never bite the hand that feeds you. It never ends well!
The main point Péter that the claim the government rise is faluse!!!
The prices did not go higher in the Coutries that changed from Russian to another oils!!!
Seems they knew they were lying all the time 😂😂
Just wait until the markets open on Monday.
Then contemplate on your comment.
You misunderstood me. What I meant to say was that if Orbán wanted to support his ally, Putin, then he had no other option but to act this way.
I didn’t say that what Orbán said in that context was true. Nor did I comment on the prices. I also didn’t say whether it was good or bad. I simply presented the causal relationships.
In other words, I demonstrated, by way of inference, that Orbán is a loyal ally of Putin. Personally, of course, I consider Orbán’s behavior absolutely reprehensible.
Closure of the Strait of Hormuz
Again, this wasn’t the EU, but your and Orban’s friend Trump. I’m saying this because you’d prefer to keep quiet about it.
I expect the closure will only be temporary, until everyone has calmed down a bit and can consider how to proceed. Incidentally, Iran would then have no foreign currency earnings at all, which would very quickly lead to essential food supplies no longer entering the country. A famine, on top of the already existing water shortage, would be the last thing the mullahs want in this desperate situation.
Furthermore, many experienced market participants will now hold back on buying and wait until the price drops again!
Yeah, no one cares about what the EU decides.
Blocking cheap reliable Russian pipeline oil, when the Hormuz is closed: I can not imagine a better decision. To abolish the EU, that is.
Have you forgotten that it was the US and Israel, Orban’s bosom buddies Trump (affectionately called his guardian angel) and Netanyahu, or are you just trying to cover it up? If you’re experiencing cognitive impairment, I’d suggest seeking help from someone else.
And what does Orban have to say about this? Probably not much, since everyone is already realizing that the unbreakable partnership with guardian angel Trump is becoming an increasing burden for Hungary.
You hit the nail on the head. Orban is going to keep is big mouth shut now about the US attack on Iran except for some bland statements about a need for peace. He will never openly criticisze Trump or Netanyahu. This evil Iranian regime which Orban has been far too friendly with needs to go. It won’t be easy. Oh, and Russia will lose the ally that has been supporting its’ war efforts supplying drones.
The Guardian writes, by afternoon, Tehran appeared to have tried to ensure the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, through which about a fifth of the world’s oil supply passes. According to the U.K.’s Maritime Trade Organization, warnings were radioed to merchant ships. Iran could try to mine the shipping lanes with submarines, although it is unclear whether such an operation would be successful. The strategy is obvious enough that the U.S. almost certainly has its submarines to prevent mines.
The first signs indicate that Washington and Jerusalem are planning a bombing campaign that could last weeks while Iran expends its stockpile of an estimated 2,000 ballistic missiles. Its capacity for large-scale retaliation could run out in days, while the U.S. is capable of more than 125 combat sorties a day from each of its aircraft carriers alone.
Iran has very few good strategic options left under the relentless attacks. The best prospect for the regime is to try to withstand the coming waves of strikes, keep snapping back while it can, and try to maintain control of the streets, given that opponents have not yet expressed any intention of launching a ground invasion.
In short, the US and Israel have started this war with vague and unattainable objectives, with no basis in international law and virtually no support from other states or other US allies, said Lord Ricketts, a former British national security adviser.
After the Israeli and US strikes on Iran and the response to them, Tehran will not be able to transfer to its ally, Moscow, missiles for the war against Ukraine. This was said by Deputy Director of the Center for Middle East Studies Sergey Danilov on Radio NV.
“This is an act of war, these strikes. We, on the one hand, have an interest in international law coming back, in having it in force. Because we rely, as a victim of aggression, precisely on international law. And, on the other hand, if we believe that it can no longer be restored, then through such an instrument, the defeat of an accomplice of aggression against Ukraine and an important partner of Russia is, from a pragmatic point of view, an important event for us,” Danilov explained.
Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andrey Sibiga has said Russia’s influence in the world is rapidly declining following the collapse of the regimes of former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, former Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
He noted that Russian dictator Vladimir Putin has proven to be an unreliable ally who has failed to help his closest partners.
Russian dictator Vladimir Putin has commented on the liquidation of Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
TASS reports that Putin expressed condolences to Iranian President Massoud Pezeshkian over Khamenei’s death, a telegram published on the Kremlin’s website.
Putin called Khamenei’s liquidation “a cynical murder in violation of all norms of human morality and international law.”
He also said Khamenei would be remembered in Russia as “an outstanding statesman who made a huge contribution to the development of relations between the two countries.”
He also expressed “sympathy and support” for Khamenei’s relatives, the government and the people of Iran.
Putin did not mention any possible assistance to Iran, one of Russia’s few allies. According to Putin, only the West is in a state of disintegration. Putin is increasingly losing face, and everyone is recognizing the paper tiger that is emerging.
Everyone note how Mouton is completely absent. He doesn’t get back into his office in Russia until Monday morning at which time he will clock into work and put posts out in support of Russia’s agenda.
Yeah, ban cheap, reliable, plentiful oil from next door. And replace it wiiiiiiiiiiiiith… – oh yeah, a wind farm in the North Sea, which will devastate marine and bird life, make enormous losses requiring stratospheric subsidies, contain components produced by African child slave labor, and still produce barely enough electricity to recharge half a cellphone battery.
Only the E.U. can come up with something so retarded.
Par for the course, though. We’re used to it by now. Advance the interests of absolutely everybody except the ordinary peoples of Europe.
Reliable oil from a neighboring country? How can an oil delivery be reliable when it comes from an aggressor pursuing its own, often conflicting, interests, and when the delivery is constantly under attack from that aggressor? You seem to have a completely different understanding of reliability.
Furthermore, I’d like an answer to the question of why Russia is a neighbor of Hungary. Perhaps you’re still operating under the old map of Greater Hungary; if so, I’m afraid I have to shatter that illusion. Those geographical structures haven’t existed for a long time. Today, Russia is no longer a neighboring country of Hungary. You should remember that so you don’t make the same blunder again and embarrass yourself once more.
You also wrote: and let’s replace the electricity (you obviously mean the electricity generated by oil) with electricity generated by a wind farm, which destroys marine and bird life, causes enormous losses, and requires astronomical subsidies. Moreover, all green energy plants contain components mined by African child slaves. Nevertheless, these plants don’t produce enough electricity, not even enough to half-charge a cell phone battery (no offense, I’ve corrected a few errors).
First of all, I didn’t know Hungary had access to the North Sea. I must have missed something. Therefore, you must immediately contact your leader, Orbán, so he can shut down these useless, cruel Hungarian wind farms in the North Sea.
Furthermore, as Hungary Today (presumably one of your favorite newspapers) already reported on December 11, 2025 (before the pipeline problems), the Hungarian government announced a comprehensive program to promote energy storage in private households, with a budget of 100 billion forints (261 million euros). The goal is to increase the energy independence of families with solar panels and ensure the sustainability of the utility cost reductions. So, not so expensive after all? Of course, I believe you more than Orbán.
It also states that, parallel to the new program for private households, extensive tenders for energy storage subsidies for businesses and industrial players are already underway, totaling 230 billion forints (601 million euros). As part of the Jedlik Ányos Energy Program, a tender for the installation of industrial energy storage systems, worth 50 billion forints (131 million euros), will launch in January. The government plans to significantly increase its efforts to strengthen storage capacities again in 2026, Gábor Czepek emphasized.
Incidentally, very few people in Hungary know that Hungary has achieved a very good top ranking in Europe for the expansion of private photovoltaic systems in private households. This was reported by the Budapester Zeitung (certainly a newspaper whose content would be entirely to your liking if you could speak German). Incidentally, it wasn’t the EU that had to instigate this nonsense in Hungary, as you also write.
You write that this is nothing unusual. And we’re used to it by now. Everyone else’s interests are prioritized, except those of ordinary people in Europe.
Don’t let Orbán get you down. Write him a strongly worded letter and tell him that green energy is too expensive and he should stay away from it. You can send me a copy!
You can’t know everything, and of course I understand that spouting nonsense is much easier.