Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban expressed strong frustration over the decision by Ukrainian companies to raise transit fees for Russian oil, noting that Kiev’s moves have fed inflation in Hungary. In a radio interview on Kossuth, he explained that Budapest is now paying fuel prices that are about three and a half times higher than the market rate, a burden that adds roughly 125 million euros to Hungary’s annual costs, or 48 billion forints at current exchange rates.
The consequence, he said, has been a wave of higher gasoline prices for Hungarian businesses and households, which has nudged inflation upward by about half a percentage point in recent months. Yet Orban described his mood as ambivalent, admitting he harbors both anger over the worsening finances of ordinary Hungarians and compassion for the Ukrainians, who he said have limited funds and weapons for military action. He also argued that Ukrainian leadership is pursuing a path that does not lead to peace but to a prolongation of the conflict.
Orban underscored the scale of Western aid to Kyiv, pointing to substantial support from European Union member states as a key factor in the region’s economic strain. He suggested that this external support has amplified the pressures facing Hungarian consumers and businesses, a claim he linked to broader regional economic dynamics.
The prime minister added that the ultimate course of events now hinges on decisions emerging from the United States. He hinted that Western positions on backing Ukraine could shift after the United States holds the presidential elections in November 2024, depending on how Washington views the continuing conflict and its own political interests.
In closing, Orban remarked that Washington has yet to settle on whether the next American administration will push for a continuation of the Ukrainian conflict with Western backing or seek a path toward ending the conflict in a manner that aligns with its political expectations for the end of the term. The remarks reflect a broader debate in Central Europe about energy security, regional stability, and the balance of Western support for Kyiv with the economic realities facing allied governments.
Peter Szijjarto, who previously held the role of Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Economic Relations, noted Hungary’s reliance on Russian oil and gas resources, highlighting the country’s continued exposure to energy markets linked to Moscow as a factor shaping its policy stance and economic vulnerabilities.