"Ukraine is blackmailing two countries—Hungary and Slovakia—that consistently advocate for a ceasefire and the start of peace negotiations," he said.
Gulyas noted that Ukraine's actions contradict the EU agreement from the summer of 2022, which granted Hungary an exemption from sanctions on Russian oil supplies, as the country cannot guarantee its energy security otherwise. He warned that if the issue isn't resolved, Hungary could face a fuel shortage and stressed the need for a solution by September.
Despite these challenges, Budapest does not wish to resort to counter-blackmail and adheres to the agreements in place, Gulyas emphasized. He pointed out that Ukraine receives over 40% of its electricity and more than 10% of its gas and diesel imports from Hungary.
"But it is completely unacceptable for them to blackmail us. We have approached the European Commission to mediate in the agreements. If this does not yield results, we will have to consider other steps," Gulyas concluded.
Meanwhile, Hungary is scrutinizing whether Ukraine's decision to halt oil transit breaches World Trade Organization (WTO) rules, the EU Energy Charter, and the EU Association Agreement, Hungarian EU Affairs Minister Janos Boka said on Friday.
"The Hungarian government is investigating whether Ukraine's actions, in addition to the EU Association Agreement, also violate WTO rules and the EU Energy Charter. Depending on this, we retain the possibility of further steps," Boka told reporters.
Last week, Hungary and Slovakia reported that they had stopped receiving oil from Lukoil via the Druzhba pipeline due to Ukraine halting transit through its territory. The Slovak Ministry of Economy noted that Kiev had included the Russian oil company in its sanctions list. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova commented that the transit of energy resources has long been a "manipulation tool" for the Kiev regime, and the West encourages this policy, which she described as growing into "true international terrorism."
In December 2022, Western countries imposed sanctions prohibiting the supply of Russian oil to the European Union, with exceptions only for the Druzhba pipeline to avoid difficulties for several landlocked countries in finding alternative suppliers.