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Hungary asks Croatia for help after Russian oil flows via Ukraine halted
Hungary and Slovakia, heavily reliant on Russian crude, seek Croatian transit via the Adria pipeline after Druzhba pipeline was halted by Russian attacks, disrupting 150,000 barrels daily.
- On April 8, 2025 Hungary and Slovakia requested that Croatia allow shipment of Russian crude via the Adriatic pipeline, with Peter Szijjarto and Denisa Sakova jointly writing to the Croatian government in Zagreb.
- Oil transit along the Druzhba pipeline via Ukraine has been halted since late last month amid Russian attacks, leaving Budapest reliant on this route for most of its oil flows.
- On social media, Croatia signalled it could assist within EU law and US sanctions, with Szijjarto noting `We are on very good terms with the Trump administration`.
- Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has remained committed to Russian energy and frequently debated Adriatic pipeline capacity with Croatia, while Robert Fico on Sunday echoed Orban's view of Ukraine using Druzhba for political leverage.
- In bilateral meetings, Szijjarto said the US framework includes economic elements and a planned nuclear cooperation agreement, highlighting broader energy diplomacy, as he discussed with Marco Rubio on Monday.
75 Articles
75 Articles
Hungary asks Croatia to allow oil transport from Russia by sea via the Adriatic pipeline
EU Pushes Ukraine On Repair Of Druzhba Pipeline Carrying Russian Oil
A European Commission spokeswoman on February 17 confirmed that Brussels was in touch with Ukraine regarding the Druzhba pipeline that has been damaged since late January, preventing Russian oil from flowing to Hungary and Slovakia.
Slovakia and Hungary have asked Croatia to transit oil from the Russian Federation after Ukraine has blocked supplies to countries of Russian raw materials through the Friends pipeline.
Despite the EU sanctions, Hungary and Slovakia are dependent on Russian oil. Since Ukraine has stopped transit through the Drushba pipeline, the two Kremlin-near countries are on the dry side. Now, Croatia is to help out.
The Adria pipeline is ready for operation, so there are no technical excuses for any EU country to remain tied to Russian crude oil, Croatian Economy Minister Ante Shushnyar said at the request of Hungary and Slovakia to transport Russian oil along this route.
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