26.08.2025, Budapest.
Hungary cannot enter into direct confrontation with Ukraine; for this, it would require US support, Rossa Primavera News Agency‘s Hungary Desk wrote on August 26.
After a series of attacks on the Druzhba oil pipeline that is vital for Hungary and Slovakia, Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky and his team openly began to threaten the Hungarian government and use offensive rhetoric when discussing strikes on infrastructure. Zelensky demanded that Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán stop obstructing Ukraine’s European integration if he wants to continue receiving Russian oil through Druzhba.
Hungary cannot take symmetrical measures against Ukraine. Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó hinted that Hungary could cut electricity supplies to Ukraine but said it would not do so in order not to harm the Ukrainian population. In reality, Budapest cannot display aggression without serious consequences for itself, because, unlike Ukraine, no one will back Hungary.
Through attacks on infrastructure under the supervision of the European Commission, Ukraine is trying to force Hungary and Slovakia to give up Russian energy resources and to make Orbán stop resisting Ukraine’s entry into the EU and NATO.
Hungary cannot even rely on the energy security agreement signed by the European Commission and Ukraine, which has already been violated several times by strikes on the Druzhba pipeline. Nor does Orbán have any “ace up his sleeve” for political blackmail. During a previous attempt by Kiev to block the transit of energy resources to Hungary, Orbán only managed to threaten the European Commission with a veto on the extension of anti-Russian sanctions.
The only way out for Hungary is to obtain active support from the United States, specifically from President Donald Trump. But securing it will not be easy, since Trump has already reached an agreement with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen that she will force all EU countries to abandon Russian energy resources.
