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Hungary to Lose Over $1 Billion if It Halts Gas Supplies to Ukraine
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Hungary faces a potential loss exceeding $1 billion if the country decides to stop providing gas to Ukraine, according to Georgiy Tykhyi, the spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine.
During a recent briefing on March 25, Tykhyi clarified that current imports have not been suspended.
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The spokesperson reassured the public regarding Ukraine's energy security, stating that the country remains prepared for any changes in supply.
“Ukraine has the necessary volumes of gas today. Ukraine knows where to get the necessary volumes of gas even in the event of Hungary stopping the supply”, Tykhyi said.
He emphasized that Ukraine has successfully worked to ensure its energy sources are not dependent on a single provider, especially in the context of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Amid these reassurances from Kyiv, Budapest announced its own response to the ongoing energy disruptions. Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said Hungary will gradually suspend gas supplies to Ukraine until oil transit through the Druzhba pipeline is restored.
He linked the move directly to the month-long halt of oil flows, which Budapest claims is a political decision by Kyiv despite Ukraine citing Russian infrastructure strikes.
The standoff has led Hungary to block a $104 billion (€90 billion) EU loan for Ukraine, while Slovakia has threatened to cut off emergency electricity. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has denied blocking repairs but remains opposed to restoring Russian oil transit, emphasizing the need for European energy independence.
“Ukraine, unlike Hungary, is a diversified country and in its time took the necessary measures so that the supply of energy resources was diversified”, Tykhyi added.
The Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs responded to criticism from Hungary and Slovakia regarding the disruption of oil transit through the Druzhba pipeline.
Spokesperson Heorhii Tykhyi explained that a Russian strike on critical infrastructure near Brody on January 27 had damaged essential equipment, making further pumping impossible.
He noted that Hungary was informed of the situation the same day and described Budapest's subsequent blame toward Ukraine as illogical, given that Russia had systematically targeted energy facilities throughout the previous year.
Donald Trump has issued a “complete and total endorsement” of Viktor Orbán, praising him as a “strong and powerful leader” ahead of Hungary's April 12 elections.
This backing reinforces the alliance between Trump and the Hungarian Prime Minister, who remains a controversial figure within the EU for his engagement with the Kremlin and his recent veto of military aid to Ukraine.
The endorsement comes as Orbán faces a significant domestic challenge from Péter Magyar’s surging Tisza Party. For Ukraine, the move underscores the tightening relationship between Trump and a leader frequently accused of obstructing European security efforts.
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