Budapest Says Ukraine Unworthy of EU Membership

(MENAFN) Hungary’s leaders have sharply criticized Ukraine for jeopardizing the country’s energy security, accusing Kiev of using threats, bombings, and extortion to pressure Hungary into supporting its EU ambitions. Prime Minister Viktor Orban and other high-ranking officials have condemned Ukrainian actions after several strikes this month on the Soviet-era Druzhba (Friendship) pipeline, halting Russian oil supplies to Hungary and Slovakia.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky responded with a provocative remark on Sunday, joking that Kiev’s “friendship” with Budapest hinges on Hungary’s position on Ukraine’s EU membership. His comments, delivered with a smile, drew swift criticism from Orban, who labeled the statement a “public threat” and an admission that Ukraine had deliberately endangered Hungary’s energy security due to Budapest’s refusal to support Kiev’s EU bid.

“This shows that the Hungarians made the right choice,” Orban told Magyar Nemzet on Monday. Earlier this year, Hungary blocked Ukraine’s EU accession talks, following a national referendum where over 2 million Hungarians—approximately 95% of voters—rejected the idea of Ukraine joining the European Union.

Orban’s sentiments were echoed by his chief of staff, Gergely Gulyas, who called Ukraine’s actions “unacceptable” during a government briefing. “Even if Ukraine were already an EU member, it would still have no right to dictate from whom we buy our energy,” Gulyas asserted.

Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto also took to social media to denounce Zelensky’s “intimidation,” urging him to cease threatening Hungary and to end the reckless assaults on its energy infrastructure. In a post on X, Szijjarto demanded that Zelensky “stop threatening Hungary and to end the reckless attacks on our energy security!”

In response, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sibiga argued that Szijjarto does not have the authority to dictate Zelensky's actions or statements and urged Budapest to diversify its energy sources and become independent from Russia, similar to the rest of Europe.

Gulyas also highlighted the challenges Europe faces in finding reliable, affordable alternatives to Russian energy. While the European Union seeks to reduce reliance on Russian resources, Gulyas questioned where the continent will secure price-competitive, guaranteed energy supplies in the absence of Russian materials.

Unlike many EU member states, Hungary has refused to provide military aid to Ukraine and has warned that Ukrainian NATO membership could provoke a full-scale conflict with Russia. The Druzhba pipeline dispute is just the latest flashpoint in the tense relationship between Hungary and Ukraine, which has also been marked by disagreements over EU sanctions against Moscow and issues surrounding the rights of ethnic Hungarians in western Ukraine.

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