Hungary and Slovakia remain heavily reliant on Russian oil, with reports arguing this dependence is a political choice rather than a necessity; as EU reduces Russian gas, oil imports, the stand-off shows the political and economic hurdles complicating the bloc’s roadmap to energy independence

Hungary warned that it would veto these EU decisions because of Ukraine blocking oil transit via the Druzhba pipeline

Slovakia had issued a two-day ultimatum to Ukraine to reopen the Soviet-era Druzhba pipeline.