Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he believes ‘Orbán will be defeated’ in the upcoming parliamentary election and that ‘we will be able to resume normal relations with Hungary’ thereafter, in a recently published interview with Italian outlet Corriere della Sera on Tuesday, 3 March.
Answering a question about what should be done regarding ‘pro-Russian European forces’, Zelenskyy replied that ‘Orbán becomes relevant when major political forces give him support,’ adding that he does not believe this will be the case in April. ‘I believe Orbán will be defeated in the elections, and then we will be able to resume normal relations with Hungary, also because the Hungarian people are not pro-Russian,’ Zelenskyy stressed. He added that it is crucial that no European country purchase ‘energy from Russia’.
Addressing the halted transit through the Druzhba pipeline, Zelenskyy claimed that Russian forces had bombed Druzhba and attacked Ukrainian technicians attempting to repair it. ‘I explained it to Fico: the pipeline is destroyed; to repair it, a ceasefire is needed, and this must be stated clearly to Putin.’
Ukraine has become a central issue in Hungary’s election campaign, as officials from Orbán’s government, including the prime minister himself, have accused Kyiv of interfering in Hungarian domestic politics in support of Orbán’s opposition challenger, Péter Magyar.
With just weeks to go before the vote, Ukraine halted transit through Druzhba on 27 January and has shown no intention of resuming it. On 2 March, the Hungarian government presented satellite imagery that it says proves the pipeline remains technically operational, arguing that Ukraine is exerting political pressure on Hungary.
Hungary and Slovakia import a significant share of their energy supplies through Druzhba, making Kyiv’s decision a direct threat to both countries’ energy security. In response, Orbán announced that he would block the €90 billion military loan to Kyiv, while both countries suspended diesel exports to Ukraine. Slovakia also halted electricity exports, and Hungary blocked the 20th sanctions package against Russia.
Orbán accused Zelenskyy of aligning with Brussels and Péter Magyar in an effort to undermine the sovereign Hungarian government, arguing that they expect Magyar to lift Orbán’s Ukraine-related vetoes should he come to power.
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