Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban reaffirmed on Wednesday that his country has no alternative to Russian oil, underscoring the critical importance of supplies through the Druzhba pipeline. Speaking to reporters upon arriving at the EU summit, Orban insisted that “Hungarians will not send money to Ukraine,” while criticizing the upcoming informal EU meeting in Copenhagen on Ukraine as “dangerous” and a “cage fight.”
Orban stressed that there is no consensus within the European Union on Ukraine’s potential membership, adding that no decision could be taken without Hungary’s approval. “Hungarian reality is that this is not our war next door,” he emphasized, distancing Budapest from the conflict and signaling that Hungary would not yield to mounting political pressure from Brussels.
The Hungarian leader also referred to recent statements by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and the prime ministers of Poland and Sweden, Donald Tusk and Ulf Kristersson, who declared that the EU is “in a state of war.” According to Orban, such rhetoric only intensifies pressure on Hungary to align with policies supporting Ukraine, including its EU membership bid—moves he firmly rejected as contrary to Hungary’s national interests.
