Orban complains about EU over plans to 'cut Hungary off' from Russian oil and gas
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban says that the European Union will "fall apart on its own" because of "leadership chaos." He also criticized Brussels for its intention to abandon Russian energy resources and said that he will not give money to Ukraine.
Euronews stated this in an article, Ukrinform reports.
Despite his dissatisfaction with Brussels, Orban rejected the possibility of Hungary leaving the EU, saying the country does not have enough influence to make such a decision.
"EU membership is an important opportunity, but if we were to get stuck in this single bloc, we would drink the juice. It makes sense to have the best possible relations with all blocs, including America, Russia, China, the Arab world and the Turkish world," he said.
Regarding energy policy, Orban said that Brussels is seeking to cut Hungary off from supplies of Russian oil and gas.
He said that the government is defending itself by filing lawsuits against the European Commission, while at the same time politically opposing EU energy rules, hoping that the sanctions will be lifted by 2027, when, in his opinion, Russia's war against Ukraine will end.
Hungary has secured exemptions from EU sanctions on Russian energy resources and remains dependent on Russian oil and gas.
Touching on the issue of Venezuela, Orban said that a US military operation would be "a powerful manifestation of the new world."
"Together with Venezuela, the United States can control 40-50% of the world's oil reserves, a force capable of significantly influencing the price of energy on the world market," he said. He added that this could be beneficial for Hungary because it would lead to a decrease in global energy prices.
Orban said that Hungary will not provide financial support to Ukraine. "We have money if we don't give it to others, so we are not giving our money to Ukraine," he said.
Hungary has remained the main obstacle to military and financial support for Ukraine by the EU since Russia's full-scale invasion in early 2022, forcing the 27-country bloc to look for ways to circumvent Budapest's veto.
As Ukrinform reported, President Volodymyr Zelensky said that the anti-Ukrainian position of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban is linked to his electoral race.
At the same time, Zelensky noted that Ukraine's path to the EU can no longer be stopped. The president added that US leader Donald Trump also recognizes that Ukraine's accession to the European Union is a security guarantee. According to him, Trump understands that this will affect Ukraine's economic and energy stability.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha responded to Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who expressed doubt that it was Russia that carried out the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.