Diplomatic Crisis Between Budapest and Kyiv: Orban Responds to Zelensky's 'Blackmail'

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has escalated his rhetoric towards Ukraine, warning that the public threats made by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky against his country "will not go without consequences," in a new development that fuels tensions between Budapest and Kyiv over sharp disagreements regarding Ukraine's accession to the European Union.

In a post published by Orban on the 'Fight Club' page, affiliated with supporters of the ruling Hungarian Civic Union party on social media, he said:

"Zelensky has openly threatened Hungary, admitting that they are targeting the (Druzhba) pipeline because we do not support their accession to the European Union. This once again proves that Hungarians made the right decision."

Orban pointed out that "Ukraine is trying to blackmail Europe through bombings and threats," adding that "this approach will not help them join the European Union."

He concluded with a warning: "Zelensky's statements will not remain without consequences."

Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto announced on August 22 that the Druzhba oil pipeline had been attacked by Ukrainian forces, describing the incident as "an attempt to drag Hungary into war."

As a result of the attack, oil supplies to both Hungary and Slovakia were temporarily suspended due to emergency maintenance work.

In response to a question about whether the strikes on the Druzhba pipeline would increase the chances of Hungary retracting its veto against Ukraine's EU membership, Zelensky said on August 24:

"We have always maintained friendly relations with Hungary... and now, the existence of (Druzhba) depends on Hungary."

In a related context, Gyorgy Gulyas, head of the Hungarian Prime Minister's Office, emphasized that Hungary is "the primary supplier of electricity to Ukraine," confirming:

"Without us, energy security in Ukraine could not be guaranteed."

Gulyas reminded that his country had previously warned its eastern neighbors that it might cut off electricity supplies to them if "hostilities" against Hungary continued.

In a related development, reports indicate that the Pentagon continues to prevent Kyiv from using U.S. missiles to strike targets within Russian territory, a move that reflects ongoing U.S. caution in escalating the conflict with Moscow, despite rising tensions in Eastern Europe.

These mutual statements come at a highly sensitive time, as Ukraine seeks to secure broad European support for its EU membership, while Hungary continues to obstruct this path due to what it describes as "security and political concerns," which threatens to escalate the dispute to more dangerous levels if statements and actions from both sides are not moderated.