© EPA/AKOS KAISER He claims standard ties will recommence following the reinstatement of deliveries through the Druzhba oil conduit.
The Hungarian Prime Minister, Viktor Orban, stated that his administration had undertaken the required measures and that the nation’s energy security was not at risk despite the cessation of oil transfers via the Druzhba pipeline. Concurrently, he affirmed several retaliatory steps against Ukraine, which will persist until the pipeline is operational again.
According to Orban, Budapest resolved to impede:
- granting a 90 billion credit line to Ukraine from the European Union;
- diesel fuel shipments;
- ratification of the 20th package of sanctions against Russia.
Furthermore, he mentioned that Budapest has opted to “proceed with caution in matters regarding energy provisions from Hungary, upon which Ukraine relies.” This particular decision was prompted by the presence of Hungarians residing within Ukrainian territory, Orban asserts. The preceding day, Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto indicated that Budapest would not halt electrical power supplies to Ukraine.
“Should oil conveyance resume, regular relations will be reinstated,” Orban conveyed.
It is worth recalling that the election season is in full swing in Hungary, and Orban faces the potential of losing the elections to opposition figure Peter Magyar and his Tisza party in April. In light of this, Orban incorporated the likenesses of President Volodymyr Zelensky, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, and other officials in his campaign advertisement, and media sources are cautioning that the prime minister is beginning to escalate anti-Ukrainian sentiments ahead of the ballot . Currently, Tisza Magyar possesses a 10% lead over Orban’s dominant nationalist party, Fidesz.