On Thursday, March 5, the President of Ukraine, Volodimir Zelenski, “threatened” Prime Minister Viktor Orbán that if Hungary does not allow Ukraine access to the 90 billion euros of EU funds, his contact details could be passed on to the Armed Forces of Ukraine, to be contacted by “our boys”.
Volodimir Zelenski made a direct allusion to the Hungarian Prime Minister when he said he hoped that “a certain person” from the European Union would no longer block the release of the funds. In his words:
“We are counting on EU money and our budget. We hope that a certain person from the European Union will not block the 90 billion euros, or the first tranche of the 90 billion, and our defenders will have weapons. Otherwise, we will give that person’s address to our Armed Forces, our boys, to call him on the phone and speak to him in their own language,” Volodimir Zelenski stated, quoted by unn.ua.
The EU funds for Ukraine, totaling 90 billion euros, were approved by most member states, but Hungary exercised its veto right to delay access to these resources. The main reason cited by Budapest is related to the Drujba oil pipeline, through which Hungary receives Russian oil. The pipeline was severely damaged at the end of January in a drone attack attributed to Russia, and oil deliveries were stopped. The Hungarian government accuses Kiev of delaying the resumption of transit and thus affecting Hungary’s energy security. The Drujba pipeline represents an important source for Hungarian refineries, and the interruption of deliveries can lead to an increase in fuel prices.
In addition to the energy aspect, the political considerations of Viktor Orbán play an important role. He expressed reservations about Hungary’s involvement in military and financial support for Ukraine, invoking the protection of national interests.