Peter Szijjarto: Hungarian–Slovak Veto Blocks Kyiv’s Plans in Brussels

The battle to protect Hungary's utility cost cuts scheme began at Monday’s meeting of the European Union’s Energy Council in Luxembourg. Following the meeting, Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Peter Szijjarto made an extraordinary announcement.

Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Peter Szijjarto (Source: Facebook/Peter Szijjarto)

The Hungarian government will use every means at its disposal to thwart the Von der Leyen–Zelensky plan, as it refuses to put Hungary’s energy supply at risk. It is the government's duty to ensure Hungarian families have heating and hot water in their homes, and that factories can continue operating,  Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Peter Szijjarto said in the Sunday News program on Kossuth Radio.

Peter Szijjarto is participating in the EU meeting in Luxembourg, where the Brussels proposal that threatens Hungary’s utility price reduction scheme is on the agenda (Source: Facebook/Peter Szijjarto)

Peter Szijjarto: Brussels Has Bowed to Kyiv

Joining live from Luxembourg, where the EU’s Energy Ministers’ Council was meeting, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Peter Szijjarto highlighted that the council was discussing the Von der Leyen–Zelensky plan, which seeks a radical transformation of Brussels' energy policy.

Today, the Energy Council has begun negotiations on the Von der Leyen–Zelensky plan,

he said. The proposal aims to make it impossible for European countries to purchase cheap natural gas and crude oil, which would impose severe additional costs on the Hungarian population. Peter Szjjarto warned that 

Hungarian people and Hungarian families will have to pay twice, three times, or even four times as much as they have been paying for utility bills so far.

Brussels is fully committed to implementing the plan, Peter Szijjarto pointed out.

Brussels has bowed to Kyiv,

he stated, adding that a significant number of member states also support cutting off access to cheap energy sources, which he said would hit Central Europe—and Hungary in particular—especially hard.

They are committed to pushing through the Von der Leyen–Zelensky plan and committed to cutting off cheap natural gas and oil from Europe. This would drive utility prices sky-high—especially in Central Europe, especially in Hungary,

he said. Peter Szijjarto described the session as a "highly demagogic debate," during which it became clear that "not only the European Commission, but also many member states treat the issue of energy supply as a political matter." In contrast, the Hungarian government views energy supply as a matter of physical reality, not politics.

Geography matters. Unfortunately, not everyone here seems to understand that,

he stressed, noting that the situation is completely different for a Western European country with a coastline than it is for a landlocked Central or Eastern European state.

Obviously, a Western European country with hundreds or even thousands of kilometers of coastline is in a completely different position when it comes to energy supply than a landlocked Central or Eastern European country. And as a result, these countries are affected very differently by regulations such as the Von der Leyen–Zelensky plan,

he explained.

The Plan Violates Hungary’s Sovereignty

While the statements made at the energy council referenced noble principles—such as sovereignty, diversification, supply security, and solidarity—the Von der Leyen–Zelensky plan would, in fact, produce the exact opposite outcome for Hungary, the minister said.

This proposal seriously violates our sovereignty, since the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union—the highest-level legal framework of the EU—explicitly states that energy policy decisions fall within national competence,

Peter Szijjarto emphasized. He added that, put simply, "It’s up to each country to decide from whom, what kind of energy carriers, when, and at what price they purchase. No one else has a say in that." He also pointed out that several member states have already  decided to cut off imports of Russian energy. In his view, this only highlights how unreasonable it is to impose those decisions on others: "Why should the security of another country’s energy supply be fundamentally endangered?" He stressed that the countries that don’t want to buy Russian energy have already made that choice—but that gives them no right to force other countries to do the same.

Especially since blocking access to Russian energy carriers would put Hungary’s energy supply in serious danger,

he warned,

"Dependence Would Increase, Not Decrease"

While Brussels argues that the Von der Leyen–Zelensky plan aims to reduce dependence, for Hungary it would have the opposite effect, Peter Szijjarto said.

If the Von der Leyen–Zelensky plan goes through, Hungary will find itself in a situation of severe dependency,

he stated. He explained that oil is currently delivered via two routes, but the plan would cut off one of them, leaving Hungary with just one remaining pipeline.

Obviously, if we go from two pipelines down to one, we’ll be entirely dependent on that one, meaning we’ll be dependent on Croatia,

he said. He highlighted that Croatia has already increased transit fees fivefold, and by taking advantage of its monopoly, "they’ll be pocketing massive profits from us." The situation is similar with natural gas. The pipeline that runs through Ukraine was shut down last year, and now the largest remaining one—the TurkStream—is becoming the next target.

That means within about a year, two of the largest gas pipelines supplying Hungary could be shut down.

The minister stressed that this plan would essentially eliminate Hungary’s energy sovereignty and create a one-sided dependence that "puts people at risk."

Szijjarto: Massive Hypocrisy from Brussels

The minister also criticized EU leaders for invoking “solidarity,” claiming their actions fail to support this principle. As an example, he cited how no one spoke up when Ukraine shut down the gas pipeline supplying Hungary. The same happened when oil shipments were partially blocked or when Croatia drastically increased transit fees.

There is massive hypocrisy in this regard,

he stated. Hungary, as a landlocked country, has spent billions to build energy interconnections with its neighbors. However, if other countries do not invest, do not build, and fail to support the stability of Hungary’s energy supply, this results in a new dependency, he said.

Deliveries from Russia have always arrived on time, always at the agreed price, and always reliably,

he emphasized, adding that the Von der Leyen–Zelensky plan would cut off this reliable and affordable supply.

Brussels Would Impose an Additional 800 Billion Forint Burden

Peter Szijjarto also warned that Brussels' proposal would force the Hungarian economy to face an additional expenditure of 800 billion forints (approx. 2 billion euros) per year. This amount is unacceptable and would directly lead to a manifold increase in families' utility costs.

This would mean that Hungarian families’ utility bills will rise to two to four times their current levels. That’s why we must use every possible means to thwart the Von der Leyen–Zelensky plan,

the minister said.

Hungary Vetoed Alongside Slovakia

The European Commission wants to put forward proposals that would fundamentally rewrite EU energy policy at a time when tensions are growing on the global market, the Hungarian minister of foreign affairs and trade pointed out.

The Israel–Iran conflict in the Middle East has already caused serious price hikes, and given the ongoing instability, it is completely irresponsible to make decisions that would further increase uncertainty,

he stressed. Therefore the Hungarian government has called on the European Commission not to draft legislation aiming to eliminate Russian energy sources. Additionally, Hungary and Slovakia jointly vetoed a Council resolution that would have instructed the Commission to take further steps in June to implement the Von der Leyen–Zelensky plan.

The veto is a clear signal: we cannot allow Hungary to be exposed to severe energy supply risks,

Peter Szijjarto stated, adding that despite this, the Brussels leadership is rushing ahead with the preparation of such regulations.

Brussels has clearly bowed to Kyiv in this matter,

he stated.

Hungary Supplies a Significant Portion of Ukraine’s Electricity

According to the minister, Brussels decision-makers are also ignoring the fact that Hungary currently plays a crucial role in Ukraine’s energy supply.

Today, 40–42 percent of Ukraine’s electricity imports come from Hungary,

he highlighted.

If Hungary's supply becomes unstable, it wouldn’t just endanger Hungarian families—it would also fundamentally undermine Ukraine’s energy security,

he warned. The battle is just beginning, but the Hungarian government is ready for it, Peter Szijjarto said.

Long negotiations and heated debates lie ahead—not only at the ministerial level but also at the level of prime ministers. Together with Viktor Orban, we are prepared to fight as long as necessary,

he underlined.

Szijjarto: Brussels Is Seriously Violating EU Rules

At a press conference following the Luxembourg council meeting, journalists asked Szijjarto several questions. Reporters from M1 and Hir TV wanted to know how much resistance currently exists within the EU to the plan to phase out Russian energy, and whether Hungary can expect any exemption or delay.

In response, the minister of foreign affairs and trade confirmed that a growing number of member states have serious concerns about the Von der Leyen–Zelensky plan. These concerns are partly economic and partly legal, and the issue of the nuclear industry is especially sensitive.

In the background, there is a strong interconnection between Western European and Russian nuclear industry actors, which is making many countries cautious,

he pointed out. According to Szijjarto, the Commission’s proposal is essentially a sanction disguised as a trade policy measure.

If this is pushed through, long-term contracts—like the Hungarian–Russian gas agreement effective until 2037—would have to be terminated. This would carry serious financial consequences, but no one is answering the question of who would pay the penalties,

he said. He also highlighted that at the request of Prime Minister Viktor Orban, Hungary has officially requested that the Commission remove the proposal to fully phase out Russian energy from its agenda and instead immediately prepare an impact study on the global economic consequences of the Middle East conflict.

This proposal is not only politically motivated, but also involves serious violations of regulations, which could justify launching a rule-of-law procedure against the European Commission,

he emphasized. The minister added that starting early next year, the import of cheap Russian gas could be banned, and that in the coming months, the Hungarian government will fight on every available European platform to protect the country’s energy security.

Cover photo: Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Peter Szijjarto (Source: Facebook/Peter Szijjarto)