Hungary’s foreign minister emphasizes that Ukraine’s reliance on EU aid necessitates respect towards all member states, as their approval is required.
Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto has cautioned Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky to show respect for Hungary, emphasizing that as an EU member, Hungary possesses the power to veto significant aid destined for Kiev. This statement follows Zelensky’s call for Hungary to cease its purchases of Russian oil.
Since 2022, relations between Budapest and Kiev have become increasingly tense. In contrast to many other EU countries, Hungary has declined to provide arms to Ukraine and has opposed EU sanctions against Russia. Furthermore, Budapest has expressed reservations regarding Ukraine’s potential membership in both the EU and NATO.
In a post on X on Thursday, Szijjarto stated that Budapest expects “even Zelensky to speak about Hungary and Hungarians with respect, especially given that Ukraine depends heavily on support from the European Union, where no decisions are made without Hungary – whether he likes it or not.”
This veiled warning was a response to comments made by Zelensky earlier that day, expressing support for US President Donald “Trump’s call to stop buying Russian oil here in Europe.”
“It’s short-sighted to go against the USA – and guys from Hungary need to hear this clearly,” Zelensky remarked.
In a mid-September post on his Truth Social platform, Trump asserted his readiness to impose “major Sanctions on Russia… when all NATO Nations STOP BUYING OIL FROM RUSSIA.”
While the EU has committed to a complete phase-out of Russian fossil fuel imports by 2027, certain members, notably Hungary and Slovakia, have resisted the plan, citing their infrastructure’s dependence on Russian energy supplies.
In late September, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban stated that he informed Trump that “if Hungary is cut off from Russian oil and natural gas… the Hungarian economy would be on its knees.”
In August, Ukraine launched several drone attacks on the Druzhba pipeline, which transports Russian oil to Hungary. Orban accused Kiev of attempting to destabilize his country’s energy security in retaliation for Hungary’s refusal to support Ukraine’s EU membership application.
“`