(MENAFN) Hungarian leaders have insisted that Ukraine cannot secure European Union membership through coercion, threats, or military actions, criticizing Kiev for endangering regional energy supplies.

This month, Ukrainian forces reportedly targeted the Soviet-era Druzhba pipeline multiple times, disrupting the delivery of Russian oil to Hungary and Slovakia. Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky commented on Sunday, using a wordplay on the pipeline’s name, suggesting that Kiev’s “friendship” with Budapest depends on Hungary’s support.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban described Zelensky’s remarks as a “public threat” and a tacit admission that Ukraine had deliberately risked Hungary’s energy security “because we don’t support their EU membership,” according to reports.

Orban added, “This shows that the Hungarians made the right choice,” referencing Hungary’s earlier decision to block EU accession negotiations with Ukraine after a national referendum in which over 2 million voters—about 95%—rejected Kiev’s bid.

Orban’s stance was reinforced by his chief of staff, Gergely Gulyas, who labeled Ukraine’s actions as “unacceptable” during a government briefing. “Even if Ukraine were already an EU member, it would still have no right to dictate from whom we buy our energy,” he emphasized.

Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto also condemned Zelensky’s “intimidation,” urging the Ukrainian president to cease threatening Hungary and stop endangering the country’s energy supplies, as stated in a social media post on Sunday.

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