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Energy Glasshouse – Ukraine Attempts To Blackmail Hungary, Slovakia Destined To Fail
Hungary and Slovakia oppose the war in western proxy war Ukraine. Both countries have continued to receive Russian oil through the Druzhba pipeline via Ukraine. Both countries oppose EU membership for Ukraine.
The acting Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelenski is trying to use a Russian attack in January on energy infrastructure in Ukraine, which he alleged damaged the Druzhba pipeline, to block further transfer of Russian crude oil to Hungary and Slovakia. It is an obvious attempt to blackmail those countries. In August 2025 Ukraine had tried a similar scheme after itself had damaged a Durzhba oil pumping station in Russia.
But, energy wise, Ukraine is sitting in a glasshouse. It is receiving much needed diesel fuel from Hungary and Slovakia. A large part of its electricity imports, more needed now than ever, comes from those countries.
In mid February U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio visited Hungary and Slovakia. He greenlighted their reprisal for Ukrainian blackmail attempts and prevented the EU from intervening in the case. The situation has escalated from there.
Let’s follow the dateline of the story …
Ukraine’s Naftogaz says Russia struck its facility in western Ukraine – Reuters, Jan 27 2026
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Russia attack knocked out pipeline carrying its own oil to Europe, Ukraine says – Reuters, Feb 12 2026
Last month’s Russian attack on the Ukrainian branch of the Soviet-built Druzhba oil pipeline halted the transit of Russian oil to Eastern Europe, Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said on Thursday.
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Rubio visits Slovakia and Hungary to bolster ties with pro-Trump leaders – France24, Feb 15 2026
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio vowed to deepen cooperation with central Europe on Sunday as he kicked off a trip to Slovakia and Hungary, whose conservative leaders have warm ties with President Donald Trump.
In Slovakia, which, like Hungary, relies on Russian oil and gas and has uneasy relations with the rest of the EU, Rubio discussed energy and defence with Prime Minister Robert Fico and President Peter Pellegrini.
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Oil Supplies to Hungary and Slovakia Halted After Damage to Druzhba Pipeline – Moscow Times, Feb 16 2026
Oil flows to Hungary and Slovakia via Russia’s Druzhba pipeline have been halted after a Russian airstrike damaged the conduit on Ukrainian territory, leaving the two landlocked EU states scrambling for alternative routes for Russian crude despite Brussels’ ban on seaborne imports.
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There have been no Russian oil deliveries to Hungary and Slovakia in February, Bloomberg reported.
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On Monday [Feb 16], Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó accused Ukraine of failing to resume transit for political reasons, …
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Slovakia Threatens Ukraine With Reprisals Over Blocked Pipeline – Kyiv Post, Feb 18 2026
Slovakia’s prime minister on Wednesday threatened to cut emergency electricity supplies to Ukraine if its neighbour does not reopen a pipeline that brings Russian oil to Slovakia and Hungary.
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[Prime Minister Robert] Fico, quoting Slovak intelligence, said the repair work had been finished. He accused Ukraine of blocking supplies as a “blackmail” weapon against Hungary, which opposes Ukraine joining the European Union.
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EU Considers Emergency Steps to Restore Russian Oil Through Druzhba Pipeline – RFL/RE via OilPrice, Feb 18 2026
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.
“We are in contact with Ukraine on the timeline for reparation of the Druzhba oil pipeline and how quickly this might be up and running,” Anna-Kaisa Itkonen told journalists in Brussels, adding the EU executive was ready to call an emergency coordination group with relevant parties to discuss alternative routes to fuel supply.
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Hungary and Slovakia halt diesel exports to Ukraine amid oil transit dispute – Euronews, Feb 19 2026
Hungary and Slovakia announced on Wednesday that they would suspend diesel exports to Ukraine amid growing tensions over oil deliveries, saying they need to secure their energy supplies to replace imports of Russian oil through the damaged Druzhba pipeline – with Hungary also accusing Ukraine of political blackmail and interference.
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“Diesel fuel deliveries to Ukraine have been halted. And diesel fuel deliveries to Ukraine will not resume until the Ukrainians resume crude oil deliveries via the Druzshba pipeline to Hungary,” said Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó.
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Hungary blocks EU’s 90 billion euro loan to Ukraine, demanding Russian oil ahead of war anniversary – Kyiv Independent, Feb 20 2026
Hungary announced on Feb. 20 that it will block the European Union’s 90-billion-euro ($107 million) loan to Ukraine until Russian oil flows via the damaged Druzhba pipeline resume.
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“We are blocking the €90 billion EU loan for Ukraine until oil transit to Hungary via the Druzhba pipeline resumes,” Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said on X.
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Slovakia threatens to stop electricity supplies to Ukraine from 23 February – Ukrainska Pravda, Feb 21 2026
Slovakia’s Prime Minister Robert Fico has said he will move to stop his country’s electricity exports to Ukraine unless Kyiv restores Russian oil transit to Slovakia by Monday 23 February.
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Fico said that unless Ukraine resumes transit of Russian oil to Slovakia by Monday 23 February, which previously flowed via the damaged Druzhba pipeline, he will “instruct the relevant Slovak companies to suspend emergency electricity supplies to Ukraine on the same day”.
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Electricity imports from Slovakia to Ukraine in February 2026 made up about 18% of Ukraine’s overall import structure.
Ukraine had hoped that that the EU would back its blackmail attempt against Hungary and Slovakia. But Rubio’s backing allowed those countries to hit back. (The White House is fed up with the capricious behavior of Zelenski and his obvious blocking of U.S. supported peace talks with Russia.)
Zelenski is now in a bind. He can keep the Druzhba pipeline closed and damage Hungary and Slovakia. But doing so will make the already terrible energy supply situation in his country even worse.
My hunch is that by Monday oil will again flow from Russia through Ukraine to refineries in Hungary and Slovakia. In the mind of the public the blackmail attempt will be added to his accumulating fails.
Ukraine had hoped that that the EU would back its blackmail attempt against Hungary and Slovakia. But Rubio’s backing allowed those countries to hit back. (The White House is fed up with the capricious behavior of Zelenski and his obvious blocking of U.S. supported peace talks with Russia.)
Posted by b on February 21, 2026 at 16:46 UTC | Permalink
b: “It’s Zelensky’s fault, not Trump!”
The war mongers in the U.S., in the European Union and in Ukraine have decided to ditch U.S. President Donald Trump’s peace attempts and to prolong the war until he leaves office.
Posted by b on February 20, 2026 at 15:42 UTC | Permalink
b: “It’s Zelensky’s fault, not Trump!”
Desperate and grasping for straws, unwilling to reconcile reality with the fantasy of Trump being a peacemaker of any sort—that is the fate of our dear host b. All the blame for the Ukraine conflict is pinned on Zelensky, Europe and some shadowy forever unknowable American Deep State, absolving America and Trump.
b has fallen so low that he is willing to portray Rubio as an agent of peace on February 21, when scantly five days prior on February 16, b called Rubio an unabashed colonialist.
In a speech held at the Munich Security Conference Secretary of State Marco Rubio called for a renewal of the colonial age:
Europe would thereby be well advised to stay away Rubio’s unhinged nonsense.
Posted by b on February 16, 2026 at 15:58 UTC | Permalink
b’s blind fealty to his messiah Trump has rendered b completely unhinged.
Let’s take apart b’s argument piece by piece.
Here is the first and biggest lie that b has told:
But, energy wise, Ukraine is sitting in a glasshouse. It is receiving much needed diesel fuel from Hungary and Slovakia. A large part of its electricity imports, more needed now than ever, comes from those countries.
Posted by b on February 21, 2026 at 16:46 UTC | Permalink
Contrary to b’s portrayal, Ukraine just isn’t all that reliant on Hungary and Slovakia.
Diesel fuel imports to Ukraine in October: almost 80% came from Poland and Greece, The Odessa Journal, 19 Nov, 2025
Supplies of diesel fuel to Ukraine from Romania, Hungary, and Lithuania, which accounted for almost 40% of volumes in September, fell fourfold to 71,000 tons. At the same time, deliveries of diesel from Poland and Greece increased by one-third, to 445,000 tons, accounting for almost 80% of October imports.
This is according to data from the A-95 Consulting Group, reports the industry publication enkorr.
In October, diesel deliveries from Poland increased by 26% to 254,000 tons, a record figure for the entire observation period.
Shipments from Lithuania fell by 60% to 25,000 tons due to repair works at the Mazeikiai refinery.
Greece became the second-largest source of diesel deliveries in October, supplying 191,000 tons, 41% more than in September.
This was reported in November 2025, so it’s not some news made up on the spot to assuage concerns of Ukraine’s ability to sustain the war.
This context of Ukraine not being reliant on diesel from Hungary and Slovakia is also brought up in a background box in Ukrainska Pravda’s coverage of the diesel export suspension on February 18, 2026, if anyone bothered to read the article in full. Considering that the Ukrainska Pravda headline is “Slovakia and Hungary suspend diesel exports to Ukraine, but this is not critical”, it’s interesting to see that b has conveniently chosen not to cite this particular Ukrainska Pravda report in his post, yet cites another Ukrainska Pravda report “Slovakia threatens to stop electricity supplies to Ukraine from 23 February – Ukrainska Pravda, Feb 21 2026” to create an impression of Ukraine as this rogue actor that’s hated by everyone.
Ukraine can also rely on India for diesel, as Reuter reports in September 2025: “Ukraine imports Indian-origin diesel fuel after loss of key refinery, analyst says”
He did not specify import volumes but said Indian diesel unexpectedly had a market share of about 10%.
India is certainly keen to earn American dollars from diesel sales to Ukraine after Trump blocked India’s other avenue for earning American dollars in the oil trade, which is to launder Russian oil in the international market (US to cut tariffs on India to 18%, India agrees to end Russian oil purchases, Reuters, By David Lawder and Aftab Ahmed, February 2, 2026). Incidentally, India has even bent over backwards to accommodate America by copying America’s tanker seizures (India Moves Against the Shadow Fleet With First-Ever Tanker Seizures, OilPrice.com, By Charles Kennedy – Feb 10, 2026)
Trump is not just indirectly (via India and other countries) making things difficult for Russia’s economy. Trump is also directly targeting Russia. Trump seized a Russian-flagged oil tanker in January 2026 (Kremlin aide warns West over seizure of Russian vessels, Reuters, By Guy Faulconbridge, February 17, 2026). On January 2026, Trump allowed “a bipartisan sanctions bill targeting countries doing business with Russia to move forward in Congress” (Reuters, January 7, 2026). On February 19, 2026, Trump “approved a one-year extension of the national emergency and related sanctions first introduced following Russia’s 2014 occupation of Crimea.” (The Kyiv Independent, by Sonya Bandouil, February 19, 2026)
Trump kicked up a real fuss over tariffs and Epstein, but when it comes to actions that harm Russia’s economy, Trump not only didn’t mount any opposition but also supported them wholeheartedly.
As Nixon once said, “Make the economy scream!” Surely, such American belligerence is conducive to achieving peace with Russia (sarcasm).
Oil is just one component needed to keep a war going though. Wars run on weapons, and boy does Uncle Sam have weapons to sell to Ukraine!
Trump made a big show of ending weapons shipments to Ukraine early in his presidency.
Order by Hegseth to cancel Ukraine weapons caught White House off guard, Reuters, By Erin Banco, Phil Stewart, Gram Slattery and Mike Stone, May 6, 2025
Ukraine voices concern as US halts some missile shipments, Reuters, By Mike Stone and Max Hunder, July 2, 2025
What headlines they are!
For the Trump cultists, they were signs that their faith has been rewarded. Everything was unfolding as prophesied. Trump’s loyal follower Hegseth is carrying out his master Trump’s commands and it’s taking effect!
But then the reversals came swift and hard.
Trump caught off guard by Pentagon’s abrupt move to pause Ukraine weapons deliveries, AP sources say, AP, By AAMER MADHANI, SEUNG MIN KIM and TARA COPP, Updated 7:58 PM EST, July 8, 2025
Trump to use presidential authority to send weapons to Ukraine, sources say, By Mike Stone, Reuters, July 10, 20253:29 PM EDT
U.S. resumes sending some weapons to Ukraine after Pentagon pause, PBS, Jul 9, 2025 8:20 PM EST
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration has resumed sending some weapons to Ukraine, a week after the Pentagon had directed that some deliveries be paused, U.S. officials said Wednesday.
The weapons heading into Ukraine include 155 mm munitions and precision-guided rockets known as GMLRS, two officials told The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity to provide details that had not been announced publicly. It’s unclear exactly when the weapons started moving.
President Donald Trump announced Monday that the U.S. would continue to deliver defensive weapons to Ukraine. He has sidestepped questions about who ordered the pause in exchanges with reporters this week.
The keen-eyed Trump cultists would protest the accuracy of these news reports. The big news outlets lie all the time, and all these “sources say” appended to the headlines are indeed a typical sign of non-existent persons being quoted for entirely manufactured stories.
Well, here is Trump on the record saying that he’d be sending weapons to Ukraine on July 14, 2025, just two weeks after the reported pause in weapons shipments.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HxTudQSIkQ0
The video must be AI-generated! They’re putting words in Our Lord and Savior Trump’s mouth!
The Trump cultist will claim that no weapons will ever be sent. It’s merely an empty promise from Trump. But reality strikes again.
Exclusive: Trump administration clears first Ukraine arms aid paid for by allies, sources say, Reuters, By Jonathan Landay and Mike Stone, September 16, 2025
No drop in military aid to Kyiv since US policy shift, NATO official says, Reuters, By Sabine Siebold, December 19, 2025
Asked if there had been a drop in military supplies since Trump stopped donations, Major General Maik Keller, deputy commander of NATO’s Security Assistance and Training for Ukraine (NSATU), said: “No, nothing.”
“There was no pause… it was just continuing and it’s not that the U.S. exactly waits until it is paid for. As soon as one (PURL) package is announced, the flow of material is starting,” he told Reuters.
The United States still provides NSATU’s commander and part of its personnel.
Speaking at NSATU’s Wiesbaden headquarters, Keller said the mission had channelled some 220,000 tons of military aid to Kyiv in 2025, amounting to around 9,000 trucks, 1,800 railway wagons and 500 aircraft packed with weapons, ammunition and other material. There was no annual comparison as NSATU only took up coordination a year ago.
UK pledges $205 million to send US weapons to Ukraine, Reuters, February 11, 2026
The most interesting report is the one from December 2025. Trump is so eager to kill Russians instead of making money that he isn’t even waiting for the weapons to be paid for before shipping them over to Ukraine!
The Trump cultists will claim that all the reports are lies, that the officials are lying. No American weapons were ever sent. Fine, let’s accept that premise. The logical follow-up question is then: With what weapons are Ukrainians fighting with?
Shovels?
Is the domestic arms manufacturing capability of Ukraine much greater than we think, capable of sustaining the losses that Ukrainian themselves have reported? Or have the Europeans suddenly conjured up an arms industry capable of churning out arms in quantities that can match the American arms industry? Or perhaps the stockpile from the Biden era hasn’t yet been exhausted by the Ukraine military? So this means Russia was lying about their success at attrition of Ukrainian equipment?
The one explanation that Trump cultists must never ever contemplate is Trump sending boatloads of weapons for free to kill Russians because that will shatter the narrative of “Trump the peacemaker” which forms the cultists’ entire worldview.
I have kept the number of hyperlinks under 5 in this comment. The omitted links are available at my Substack. Let’s see how long this comment stays up on MoA.
Death to America
Marg bar Âmrikâ
Marg bar Âmrikâ
Marg bar Âmrikâ
Posted by: All Under Heaven | Feb 22 2026 0:46 utc | 87
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