PM Orban: Hungary Won’t Just Sit Back as Ukraine Imposes Oil Blockade + Video

“I am not looking for trouble with the Ukrainians; they are the ones looking for trouble. They have opened a front against us,” Viktor Orban said in Debrecen. The prime minister emphasized that every attempt at blackmail will be pushed back. Mr. Orban responded to questions from the audience together with Transport Minister Janos Lazar.

PM Viktor Orban and Transport Minister Janos Lazar at the anti-war gathering in Debrecen (Photo: Prime Minister’s Communications Department / Zoltan Fischer)

By contrast, the leader of the governing parties is Viktor Orban, whom he described as one of the world’s best crisis managers.

Viktor Orban has protected everyone. In times of trouble, every Hungarian can count on Viktor Orban,

– Mr. Lazar emphasized, adding that - in his view - the stakes of the election are whether we bring problems upon ourselves or push them away.

We Cannot Be Taken for Fools

– “It is not pleasant to hear such things, and it is difficult to see them as encouragement, but when someone takes on a job like leading a nation, it is good to settle everything within oneself in advance,” Viktor Orban said in response to a question about the Ukrainian president’s death threat. He emphasized:

I'm ready for anything.

– “We are not looking for conflict, but we do have a clear idea of how we want to live our lives,” the prime minister said.

Regarding the seized Ukrainian gold convoy, he said that they also only have questions: they do not know whether the money was taken from here or brought here, or what they intended to do with it.

According to the prime minister, many pro-Ukrainian opinions in Hungary arise not from the heart but for financial reasons, which is why the matter must be investigated.

– “The Ukrainians must understand that they cannot take us for fools,” Viktor Orban said.

The financial situation of families is connected to energy security, which is why politics must not deal only with theoretical issues, the prime minister said when asked about the shutdown of the Druzhba oil pipeline. He noted that a Hungarian family pays an average of 250,000 forints in utility costs, while Polish families pay about 900,000.

Without our current utility price reduction scheme, every Hungarian family would lose month’s salary,

– he explained.

– “The Ukrainians have already placed us under a gas blockade in addition to the oil blockade, which is why we built the South Stream pipeline. If it had been up to Zelensky, utilities would already be more expensive, but the utility price cuts protect families,” Viktor Orban recalled.

A Hungarian prime minister must reach agreements with two people: the president of the United States—without which Hungary would not have received an exemption from Russian energy sanctions—and the president of Russia in order to secure access to inexpensive energy resources, he explained.

I am not looking for trouble with the Ukrainians; they are the ones looking for trouble. They have opened a front against us.

– “They could not have thought they would shut off the oil and we would simply sit idle. We will push back against every attempt at blackmail,” Viktor Orban said. He added that Hungary has a plan and that the Ukrainians have a plan as well. Their plan, he said, is about forcing Hungary to accept their four demands—but in the end they will run out of money sooner than Hungary runs out of oil.

– “When someone takes the oath of office as prime minister, he knows there may be rain and mud—this is the situation now. My strength is inexhaustible,” he declared.

A question was raised about what message the prime minister would send to Fidesz supporters whose families have been threatened.

– “Our community is a community of love, while on the other side there is a community of community of hatred. And hatred cannot be the foundation of a community, a country, or a homeland,” Viktor Orban said. As an example, he cited what he described as the Democratic Coalition’s politics of hostility toward Hungarians living beyond the country’s borders. He emphasized that Hungarians abroad are needed.

Hungary Must Stay Out

– “They certainly have not made it very appealing,” the prime minister said in response to a question about Ukraine’s accession to the European Union. He pointed out that the Ukrainian state’s geographic and political situation raises serious questions—assuming the country even remains intact, as it is currently at war. We do not know how many people have left, we do not know where its eastern borders lie, and large numbers of people are being killed and wounded in the war. If Ukraine were admitted to the European Union while the war is still ongoing, then the war itself would be brought into the EU, something that must be avoided at all costs, Viktor Orban warned.

In his view, Ukraine’s place must be determined in a way that is also beneficial for the countries to its west. They should not be admitted to the EU, but rather a separate agreement should be concluded with them. If Ukraine joined the EU, it would take all of Hungary’s money, and it would immediately have greater voting power because it is a larger country, he stressed.

Photo: Prime Minister’s Communications Department/Zoltan Fischer

According to the prime minister, more experienced observers may have two kinds of concerns: concern about the past and concern about the future. From the past we know that we cannot allow our money to be taken and our young people sent to war. As for the future, the question is who will repay the money now being given to Ukraine. If we allow our money to be taken, the country will fall into debt and grow poorer, and our children and grandchildren will bear the consequences, PM Orban pointed out.

“Europe will go to war, but it will still be possible for Hungary to stay out of it,” 

– he declared.

We Must Win the Druzhba Dispute

Responding to a question about agriculture and the future of farmers, he explained that there is a 20-dollar price difference between eastern, Ural-type oil and western Brent crude.

“We must win this fight with the Ukrainians over reopening the Druzhba oil pipeline. For us, this is an existential issue,” the prime minister declared. He added:

If prices reach a level that Hungarians can no longer afford, we will intervene.

Regarding natural gas, Hungary is in a better position, as the country has gas pipelines with all neighboring states except Slovenia.

– “We must remain in constant contact with the southern countries. Whoever was capable of blowing up Nord Stream is also capable of carrying out an attack against South Stream. The Ukrainians are capable of anything,” PM Orban said.

“The reason we haven't cut off Ukraine's electricity supplies so far is because Hungarians also live on the other side of the border, and the Ukrainian people are not our enemy. I want to avoid taking any step that would cause hardship for the people living across the border,” the prime minister said.

– “There are two things we could have done faster: purchasing and developing an Adriatic port, which is still under construction, and the Paks II nuclear project. In that case, many tried to trip up the government, both in the Hungarian parliament and in Brussels. If it were already completed, many of these problems would be solved. If we manage it well, this problem will be resolved by 2032—but until then there are still six years,” the prime minister recalled.

– “In the heat of an election battle we sometimes say harsh things, but eventually things will settle down and we will realize that we are all Hungarians. When we make government policy, it is important that 

even those who do not vote for us will benefit from it. Pro-Tisza pensioners will also receive their 13th and 14th month pensions. And families who support the Tisza Party will also receive their family benefits,

– Viktor Orban pointed out.

According to Mr. Orban, Hungary’s weight on the international stage is determined by two factors: its economic weight and its political weight.

– “What I do is bring together people who have an interest in Hungary’s success,” the prime minister said.

He recalled that it was no coincidence that Debrecen “entered into a marriage” with Fidesz in 1998. Outside Budapest, the party had two major pillars: Szombathely in the west and Debrecen in the east, the prime minister noted. He emphasized that the city is home to people who do not pity themselves but work hard for everything they achieve.

“Debrecen is full of vitality, and that must be reflected in the election so that people who spend their time explaining why things cannot be done do not come anywhere near the levers of power,” Viktor Orban stressed.

Photo: Prime Minister’s Communications Department/Zoltan Fischer

DPK Nationwide Tour a Major Success

Events organized by the Digital Civic Circles (DPK) have consistently drawn large audiences, demonstrating that many people support the pro-peace position. The format of the DPK gatherings has introduced several innovations into the governing parties’ campaign. At meetings held in recent weeks, the prime minister delivered a short speech and then answered questions from the audience. This format ensured that alongside current domestic and foreign policy issues, local matters also received special attention.

According to a statement by the organizers, the success of the first nationwide meeting of the Digital Civic Circles last September encouraged the founders of DPK No. 1 to launch the DPK nationwide tour. The purpose of the anti-war gatherings 

is to take joint action against the war.

So far, participants have gathered at the following stops of the tour:• November 29 in Nyiregyhaza

• November 15 in Gyor 
• December 6 in Kecskemet
• December 13 in Mohacs
• December 20 in Szeged
• January 17 in Miskolc
• January 24 in Kaposvar
• January 31 in Hatvan
• February 7 in Szombathely
• February 21 in Bekescsaba
• February 28 in Esztergom.

Cover photo: PM Viktor Orban and Transport Minister Janos Lazar at the anti-war gathering in Debrecen (Photo: Prime Minister’s Communications Department/Zoltan Fischer)