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3w ago

Orban Deploys Troops to Guard Energy Sites as Hungary Escalates Druzhba Dispute

Hungary ties its EU vetoes to resuming pipeline transit that Ukraine says stopped after a Russian attack.

Image
A man fixes a partially damaged billboard showing an AI-generated image of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, center, flanked by European officials, in Budapest, Hungary, Monday, Feb. 23, 2026. (AP Photo/Bela Szandelszky)
A billboard shows an AI-generated image of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, center, flanked by European officials, in Budapest, Hungary, Monday, Feb. 23, 2026. (AP Photo/Bela Szandelszky)
A man passes a billboard that shows an AI-generated image of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy flanked by European officials and reads: "We Don't Pay," in Budapest, Hungary, Monday Feb. 23, 2026. (AP Photo/Bela Szandelszky)

Overview

  • Prime Minister Viktor Orban ordered soldiers and equipment to secure critical energy infrastructure and cited intelligence alleging Ukrainian plans to disrupt Hungary’s energy system.
  • Oil flows on the Druzhba pipeline to Hungary and Slovakia have been down since January 27, with Budapest and Bratislava accusing Kyiv of a political blockade while Ukraine attributes the outage to a Russian drone strike.
  • Hungary blocked a €90 billion EU loan for Ukraine and the latest Russia sanctions package, with Orban vowing to oppose further EU measures until oil transit resumes.
  • Germany and Belgium publicly urged Hungary to drop its vetoes, arguing the pipeline dispute should not be linked to EU support for Kyiv.
  • The standoff has widened regional frictions as Hungary and Slovakia halted diesel exports to Ukraine, and the confrontation features prominently in Orban’s campaign ahead of the April 12 election.