The European Commission plans to present a legal proposal on April 15 to permanently prohibit imports of Russian oil, according to EU officials and a draft agenda seen by Reuters.
The move would come three days after Hungary’s parliamentary election on April 12.
Two EU officials said the timing is intended to avoid making the proposed ban a central issue in Hungary’s campaign.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban and his nationalist Fidesz party face their strongest electoral challenge in 16 years.
Hungary and Slovakia, which remain reliant on Russian crude, have opposed further restrictions.
Both countries have been affected by the shutdown of supplies through the Druzhba pipeline since January 27, following reported damage in western Ukraine.
The EU has already sanctioned seaborne Russian oil but now aims to anchor a full phase-out in legislation that would stay in force even if sanctions were eased under a future Ukraine peace deal. Energy Commissioner Dan Jorgensen has said imports would end by late 2027.
To prevent a veto by Budapest or Bratislava, the bloc is expected to rely on a legal mechanism allowing approval by a qualified majority of member states.
By the final quarter of last year, Russian oil accounted for just 1% of EU imports, reflecting earlier sanctions imposed after Moscow’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine.