Media: Orban ordered to stop gas supplies to Ukraine via Hungary from July
- Author:
- Svitlana Kravchenko
- Date:
Getty Images / «Babel'»
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has ordered the halt of natural gas transit through his country to Ukraine starting in July 2026.
This was reported by the DPA agency, citing a decree published on the night of March 26.
The document prohibits the Hungarian operator FGSZ from providing gas transit capacity to Ukraine from July. The company has already implemented contracts until June.
According to media reports, in 2025, Ukraine received about 44% of its gas imports through Hungary.
Orban reported his intention to stop gas supplies to Ukraine until Kyiv resumes the transit of Russian oil through the “Druzhba” oil pipeline yesterday, March 25.
Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesman Heorhiy Tykhyi said that Hungary has not stopped exports yet. But if that happens, it is Hungary that will lose money, and Ukraine has diversified sources. Hungary has earned over $1 billion from gas transit and exports to Ukraine.
What preceded
Ukraine has suspended oil transit through the “Druzhba” pipeline since late January due to Russian attacks. In turn, Hungary and Slovakia, which received the vast majority of their oil through “Druzhba”, have said that Ukraine is blocking the oil route “for political reasons”.
Hungary then blocked a €90 billion loan for Ukraine from the EU until Kyiv reopened the “Druzhba” oil pipeline. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban wrote an open letter to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on February 26, accusing him of anti-Hungarian policies and calling for the reopening of the “Druzhba” pipeline.
Zelensky reacted and said that he would not restore the “Druzhba” pipeline damaged by Russia, because it involves Russian oil.
In March, Ukraine agreed to EU assistance to repair the “Druzhba” pipeline. At that time, Zelensky reported in a letter to EU leaders that it would take about a month and a half to restore transit through the “Druzhba” pipeline.
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