BUDAPEST, March 12. /TASS/. Budapest will continue to block the European Union’s 20th package of sanctions on Moscow until Ukraine resumes the transit of Russian oil via the Druzhba pipeline, Gergely Gulyas, head of the Hungarian Prime Minister’s Office, said.

"The 20th package of sanctions will remain blocked until Ukraine resumes the operation of the Druzhba oil pipeline," he stated at a press briefing following a Hungarian government meeting.

Gulyas noted that Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban would defend that position at an EU summit set to be held in Brussels on March 19-20. The head of the Hungarian Prime Minister’s Office, who holds ministerial rank, emphasized that if Vladimir Zelensky "fails to lift the oil blockade of Hungary, we will not allow other EU countries to provide joint loans to Ukraine."

Gulyas pointed out that in response to Kiev’s move to block oil deliveries through the Druzhba pipeline, Hungary had vetoed the EU’s decision to provide a 90-billion euro "military loan" to Ukraine. Apart from Hungary, Slovakia and the Czech Republic also refused to take part in the initiative, but the remaining 24 EU nations did not abandon the idea. However, they won’t be able to transfer the money to Kiev because Hungary will not allow the use of EU mechanisms to implement the plan, Gulyas warned.

He confirmed that the Hungarian government would pressure Ukraine to resume deliveries via the Druzhba pipeline, which had been suspended on January 27. Budapest is confident that the pipeline is fit for operation and that Kiev continues to block supplies solely for political reasons.