Hungary FM Rebukes Ukrainian Blackmail, Calls on Brussels to Stop Acting as 'Ukraine Commission'

Hungary belongs in the Peace Council both on principle and in defense of its national interests, as the body’s mission may extend well beyond Gaza and could prove instrumental in resolving the war raging next door in Ukraine. At present, there is no better opportunity to bring that conflict to a close than President Donald Trump’s peace efforts, Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said Thursday in Washington.

Peter Szijjarto, Hungary's Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade (Source: Facebook)

Speaking after the Hungarian government delegation arrived in the U.S. capital, Szijjarto noted that a new world order is taking shape—one built more on bilateral relations, government-to-government cooperation, and personal ties. A tangible sign of this shift, he said, is the creation of the Board of Peace at the initiative of President Donald Trump, according to a statement from the ministry.

Peter Szijjarto, Hungary's Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade (Photo: AFP)

Szijjaro emphasized that Trump's peace efforts offer real hope that armed conflicts around the globe can be resolved through diplomacy. As an example, he cited the 2020 Abraham Accords, which normalized relations between Israel and several Arab nations after decades of failed attempts.

He stressed that Hungary’s decision to join the Board of Peace is not merely symbolic or ideological. For a country living in the direct proximity of the war in Ukraine, it is a matter of practical national interest.

Here in Washington, we are representing a country that has lived next to a war for four years,” he said. “And let’s be honest—had Donald Trump been president in 2022, the war in our neighborhood would not have broken out, and our lives would look very different today.

“Life would be different in Europe, in Central Europe, and in Hungary,” he added. “We would not have had to devote a significant portion of our economic resources to mitigating the effects of the war. Numerous development projects could have been carried out, and the economy would have had entirely different opportunities.”

According to Szijjarto, the prevailing European notion that the war can be concluded on the battlefield is misguided. In his view, Trump represents the only real chance for peace to return. “If we are talking about the Board of Peace extending beyond Gaza and serving the cause of peace on a global level in the future, then I believe it deserves a chance—because at this moment, there is no better or more promising opportunity,” he said.

Turning to the suspension of oil transit via the Druzhba pipeline, Szijjato accused Ukraine of engaging in “political blackmail” against Hungary by attempting to manufacture an artificial supply emergency.

He made clear that the Hungarian government will not yield to pressure, arguing that it would run counter to national interests to become entangled in the war, send financial resources to Ukraine, or support its accession to the European Union.

In his view, the European Union should stand alongside Hungary and Slovakia in the dispute, and the European Commission should call on Kyiv to end what he described as political blackmail.

“On one side are two EU member states—Hungary and Slovakia. On the other side is a non-EU country, Ukraine,” he said. “Ukraine is deliberately endangering the energy supply of two European Union member states for political reasons.”

He added that, such moves are strictly prohibited under the agreement currently in force between Ukraine and the EU.  According to the minister, “the European Commission today is acting more like a Ukraine Commission,” representing Ukrainian interests even against those of its own member states.

At the same time, he underscored that Hungary’s energy supply remains secure. Hungary’s oil and gas company MOL has already ordered maritime shipments, which are set to arrive at a Croatian port in early March before being transported to Hungary within days.

Finally, Szijjarto noted that while Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s visits to Budapest and Bratislava reflect Washington’s approach to Central Europe, the primary responsibility in speaking up on this matter lies with Brussels.

Cover photo: Peter Szijjarto, Hungary's Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade (Source: Facebook)