Hungary May Use Strategic Oil Reserves

Hungary may be forced to withdraw 250,000 tons of crude oil from its strategic reserves if supplies through the Druzhba pipeline do not resume in the coming days, according to a statement from Hungarian company MOL.

Reuters, citing Ukraine's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, reported that the transit of Russian oil to Eastern Europe via the Ukrainian section of the Druzhba pipeline has been halted since January 27.

Russian presidential press secretary Dmitry Peskov previously agreed with Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico's statement regarding the cessation of supplies through the Druzhba pipeline, noting that the oil is being subjected to coercion by Hungary due to Ukraine's opposition to EU membership.