Overview
- Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó said Hungary will not approve the new sanctions until Ukraine restarts Russian oil transit to Hungary through the Druzhba pipeline, echoing a similar message from Prime Minister Viktor Orbán.
- EU foreign ministers plan to take up the package on Monday, and adoption requires unanimous backing from all 27 member states.
- EU ambassadors failed on Feb. 20 to reach a provisional deal, with a proposed blanket ban on maritime services for Russian tankers facing resistance from Greece and Malta.
- Reporting indicates Brussels is exploring legal grounds and flag‑state permissions to stop and inspect tankers carrying Russian oil on the high seas, a step that has drawn escalation warnings and was denounced by a senior Russian lawmaker as a ‘tanker war.’
- Kyiv condemned what it called blackmail by Hungary and Slovakia, said the Jan. 27 pipeline damage was caused by Russian strikes, reported round‑the‑clock repairs and alternative supply offers, and noted the Commission has convened an Oil Coordination Group meeting this week.