The Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto hinted that his country would block Ukraine's accession to the EU due to the decision to halt the transit of Russian gas through Ukrainian territory.
On his Facebook page, the Hungarian diplomat expressed his concerns that the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry reacted "quite aggressively" to the news of rising gas prices resulting from the cessation of gas transit, as well as to the fact that a bill was registered on the Ukrainian parliament's website to "shut off gas and oil routes from Russia" during martial law.
Szijjarto stated that because of this, Ukraine must recognize that "there is reality, there are rights, and there are obligations."
"The reality is that in the EU, member states collectively and unanimously decide on the admission of new members. In other words, each member state must vote 'in favor.' Rights: each country has the sovereign right to determine from where and through which routes it purchases the energy resources necessary for its operation. No one from outside can influence this. No one has the right to impose more expensive, less secure energy sources on another country," he continued.
Speaking about obligations, the Hungarian minister asserted that a state that enters into an association agreement with the EU or wishes to become a member of the EU is obliged to contribute to the energy security of the EU by providing transport routes.
"Therefore, closing off gas or oil routes is unacceptable and contradicts the expectations associated with integration into the EU," Szijjarto added.
Halting the transit of Russian gas and Hungary
On January 1, 2025, at 07:00, Ukraine officially stopped the transportation of natural gas from the Russian Federation through its own gas transport system. This decision was made in the interest of national security.
Hungary opposed this decision. The country's Prime Minister Viktor Orban held negotiations with Moscow and Kyiv to maintain open gas supplies through Ukraine.
It is noteworthy that Hungarian politicians often make statements and take steps beneficial to the Russian Federation. For instance, Hungary has repeatedly blocked aid to Ukraine. Its leaders continue to visit Russia and Belarus.
Moreover, not long ago, Budapest achieved the exclusion of Patriarch Kirill from the 15th package of EU sanctions.
In the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry, they stated that Ukraine is ready to take the vacant seat in the European Union and NATO if Hungary decides to leave it in favor of membership in the CIS and CSTO.