Hungary’s prime minister-elect Péter Magyar struck unexpectedly strong rhetoric against Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Monday. Speaking during a press conference after the inaugural meeting of the Tisza Party’s parliamentary faction, Magyar said he expects Zelenskyy to resume the flow of Russian oil via the Druzhba pipeline if it is technically operational, stressing that Budapest will not agree to any concessions on the issue.
The incoming prime minister urged Zelenskyy to ‘keep his promise’ and ensure the pipeline resumes operations, which, according to Magyar, could happen in the coming days. He also warned Zelenskyy against ‘blackmailing’ Hungary by tying the unblocking of Druzhba to the approval of the €90 billion EU loan to Kyiv.
‘We will not make any concessions, and I would not advise—again, we do not know each other—but I would not advise the Ukrainian president to go down that route. That will not be accepted in Hungary, or in Europe either. Nor will European leaders accept attempts to revise matters that have already been agreed and to blackmail European leaders,’ Magyar said.
Magyar compared Zelensky’s position on the “Druzhba” pipeline to demanding behavior at a dinner 🍽️
— NEXTA (@nexta_tv) April 20, 2026
“It’s like someone comes to dinner — they were invited — and then starts making demands: if there’s no lecsó or it isn’t cooked over medium heat, then I’ll do this and that,”… pic.twitter.com/R2nfyCTfcZ
A day earlier, Hungary’s outgoing prime minister Viktor Orbán announced on social media that Ukraine was willing to resume transit through Druzhba, provided that Budapest lifted its veto on the financial package. The loan was agreed in December 2025, with an opt-out secured by Hungary, Czechia, and Slovakia.
Orbán, however, later withdrew his support and vetoed the loan, accusing Zelenskyy of halting supplies to put pressure on Hungary ahead of the 12 April election in order to support Orbán’s opposition and oust his government. Transit through Druzhba has been halted since 27 January, after Russian strikes hit one of its terminals. The Orbán government claimed that the pipeline is fully operational and that the halt is due to political reasons.
After the Tisza Party won the election on 12 April, securing a constitutional supermajority, Zelenskyy announced that the pipeline could be operational by the end of April, adding that he expects Hungary to lift its veto. Speaking at his first international press conference as prime minister-elect, Magyar said he would not block the loan, but that Hungary would maintain the opt-out negotiated by Orbán in December 2025.
Speaking on Monday, Magyar compared Zelenskyy’s behaviour to that of a demanding dinner guest, adding that, in his view, ‘this is the wrong attitude’. ‘I would not advise acting like that,’ he stressed.
During the final years of Orbán’s 16-year rule, relations between Ukraine and Hungary reached a historic low, largely due to the Orbán government’s stance on the war in Ukraine and the EU’s sanctions policy on Russia. During the campaign, Orbán accused Kyiv of interfering in Hungary’s election in support of the Tisza Party. Even earlier, Ukraine had restricted the rights of the Hungarian minority living in Transcarpathia, which significantly deteriorated relations between the two countries’ leaderships.
Magyar tied the improvement of bilateral relations to a ‘resolution of minority rights’ issues, which he said was also understood by the Ukrainian leadership.
Kyiv welcomed the Tisza Party’s victory, with Zelenskyy congratulating Magyar and expressing hope for ‘pragmatic and friendly’ relations with the new government. ‘The elections, when the Hungarian people made their choice, were on Sunday, 12 April. In Ukraine, we celebrated Easter on that day, the victory of light over darkness,’ he said, adding that it is ‘very symbolic’.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said that the defeat of Viktor Orbán could ‘open a new chapter’ in bilateral relations that could benefit both nations.
Related articles:
At a time when public debate is increasingly polarized and superficial, Hungarian Conservative remains committed to depth, intellectual honesty, and independent conservative thought.
Producing high-quality journalism requires resources. Your contribution helps us expand our coverage, reach new audiences, and keep our content accessible.
Please consider supporting our mission.
