Overview

• Brussels is reviewing trade options that could reduce or cut Druzhba oil flows to Hungary and Slovakia, a pathway that could be approved by majority vote, according to Bloomberg reporting.
• European Commission spokesperson Anna-Kaisa Itkonen said the 19th sanctions package will not affect the pipeline, with full details to be finalized once member states agree.
• The proposed package targets Rosneft and Gazpromneft, advances a phased ban on Russian LNG, blacklists more than 100 tankers from Russia’s shadow fleet, and tightens measures against facilitators of energy trade.
• Hungary’s foreign minister Péter Szijjártó said Budapest will keep buying Russian crude for energy security reasons, noting reliance on existing infrastructure and MOL’s roughly 5 million tonnes in annual imports via Druzhba.
• Pressure from Washington has intensified as President Trump urges Europe to stop purchasing Russian oil, while recent Ukrainian strikes on Druzhba underscored supply vulnerabilities and regional tensions.