Hungary will cease gas supplies to Ukraine until the oil transit through the Druzhba pipeline is restored, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said on Wednesday, LETA reported citing the BBC.
"We are gradually stopping gas supplies from Hungary to Ukraine and will store the remaining gas in Hungary," the Prime Minister stated in a video on the Facebook platform.
The transit of Russian oil through the Druzhba pipeline to Hungary was halted at the end of January after Kyiv reported damage to the pipeline on Ukrainian territory as a result of a Russian strike.
Orban rejects claims of technical problems with the pipeline and has repeatedly demanded that Ukraine resume transit, but to no avail.
In March, Hungary blocked the disbursement of a previously agreed €90 billion loan from the European Union to Kyiv until the operation of Druzhba is restored.
Elections are expected in Hungary on April 12.
As the voting day approaches, Orban is increasingly positioning himself as an opponent of EU support for Ukraine.
Media reports have also emerged that Russian intelligence allegedly suggested staging an assassination attempt on Orban to increase his chances of success in the elections.
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