The main conduit of Russian gas into central Europe is expected to be cut off on Wednesday as a transit deal with Kyiv comes to an abrupt end.
While most European states have found alternative supplies since the Kremlin’s full invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Hungary and a handful of its neighbours remain dependent on the “Brotherhood” network of pipelines from Russia.
Their governments are now confronted with a rise in energy bills, the loss of their own secondary transit revenues and the prospect of mounting public disgruntlement as one of their primary sources of natural gas vanishes overnight.
This is particularly uncomfortable for Viktor Orban, Hungary’s authoritarian prime minister, and Robert Fico, his Slovakian counterpart, both of whom have consistently aligned themselves with