The same people who blew up Nord Stream have shut off the Druzhba crude oil pipeline: the Ukrainians, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán stated on Thursday in Washington at a press conference held after the first meeting of the Board of Peace. Mr Orbán also spoke about the fact that Brussels should stand with its two Member States, Hungary and Slovakia, against Ukraine on the issue of the Druzhba crude oil pipeline.
The Prime Minister stressed “we see it this way and so do the Slovaks, this is already two pairs of eyes, and all reports suggest that the Druzhba crude oil pipeline is operational. There is no technical obstacle of any kind to the Ukrainians resuming oil deliveries. There is no point in arguing about this, this is a fact.”
Mr Orbán added that according to the association agreement between the European Union and Ukraine, no Ukrainian measures can risk the energy security of the Member States of the European Union. “That’s precisely what they’re doing now,” he pointed out.
He said the injured party here is Hungary which is represented by Brussels in this agreement, and so “they should take the Ukrainians to task,” saying “people, there was a breach here,” two EU Member States have found themselves at risk due to their decision.
Mr Orbán also said that based on another agreement, Hungary can turn to the Croatians, asking them to bring oil to Hungary via their pipeline because the Druzhba pipeline has been blocked. It is the duty of the Croatians to transport oil of any origin, including Russian, to Hungary, he highlighted, observing that the Croatians are not overly enthusiastic about the prospect, but he sincerely hopes that everyone will adhere to the rules.
He remarked that Brussels was now compelled to face the difficult situation that while their heart was with the Ukrainians, Hungary was a member of the EU, Ukraine was not. Therefore, they must proceed not according to what their hearts may dictate – they like the Ukrainians, and they evidently do not like us – but must fulfil their contractual obligation, he pointed out.
Mr Orbán said Brussels must take action to protect the interests of Member States, meaning that they now must stand with Hungary and Slovakia, against Ukraine. “This is their duty, this is what we expect them to do,” he added, expressing hope that the ongoing talks will lead to this outcome.
In his view, there is “a sub-standard debate” under way in connection with the Druzhba pipeline because while it is true without doubt that there was a Russian attack, the Druzhba pipeline was not damaged. He stressed that the Nord Stream pipeline had been blown up and the Druzhba pipeline had now been paralysed in order to maintain the monopolistic situation that gas and oil could only come to Europe in meaningful quantities via Ukraine.
He described the act of blowing up an asset, a piece of strategic energy infrastructure owned by another state as “state terrorism.” “As to why the Germans are prepared to swallow this, this question should be asked at a press conference in Berlin,” he observed.
He also said what the Ukrainians are doing to Hungary today are openly hostile measures. The Prime Minister stated: “causing chaos or attempting to cause chaos in a country in the field of its energy supply is a hostile measure. That they want to drag us with all their might into financial obligations, together with the other EU countries, that we don’t want to undertake is also a hostile measure. That they try to achieve that the European Union detach Hungary with sanctions from cheap Russian energy is likewise a hostile measure against Hungary.”
In answer to a question, Mr Orbán took the view that Ukrainian-Hungarian relations are tense today because the Ukrainians believe that anyone who does not support them is their enemy. At the same time, he stressed that as soon as the war was over, this dimension would cease and it would be possible to return to normal, peacetime, diplomatic, economic and other relations.
He laid down: the key to everything, including Ukrainian-Hungarian relations, is peace. However, as long as the war continues, he sees no chance for the settlement of relations.
He also said that Ukraine has openly meddled in the Hungarian elections and will continue to do so in the coming days as well. Therefore, he highlighted that one of the stakes of the elections was whether there would be a pro-Ukraine government, whether the Hungarians’ money, and later Hungarian weapons and young Hungarians would be taken away and off to the war or not.
He pointed out that Ukraine had a vested interest in there being chaos in Hungary, if possible, chaos of a nature, the price of which would be paid by the people, and so they could contribute to the formation of a pro-Ukraine government that would favour them.
In answer to the question of what they can do, he said the first thing is that they will ward this attack off, meaning that Hungary will ward off the Ukrainian attempts to cause an energy emergency in Hungary. At the cabinet meeting held the day before, they took care of maintaining a continued supply of petrol and oil for the Hungarian economy, and at the earlier price, he laid down.
The other thing they are doing is that they are not letting this pass without consequences, meaning that they are taking counter-measures, including that they will not supply petrol for the Ukrainians, coordinating steps with the Slovaks, he indicated.
He also said they are not levelling threats and do not want to get ahead of themselves, but Ukraine receives a considerable part of its power supply, too, from Hungary. In answer to the question of whether the Hungarian government is planning to take any further measures against Ukraine if they refuse to resume crude oil deliveries via the Druzhba crude oil pipeline, the Prime Minister said the measures taken so far will take care of the country’s energy supply until the April elections.
“We can definitely take care of February, March, April and May,” and so the new – in his words, it is to be hoped the old-new government – will have to take further action, to broaden the response or to deploy new measures after 12 April.
In response to a question about Ukraine, the Prime Minister highlighted that it was an election story which was about the fact that the Ukrainians had a vested interest in Hungary having a pro-Ukraine government. They see the incumbent government as an anti-Ukraine government, regarding which they are not right, he laid down.
He said the government of Hungary is a pro-Hungary government, we provide all assistance that does not destroy us, but we do not want to be dragged into the war, we do not want to give money or to send weapons. By contrast, we have provided and continue to provide the perhaps most extensive humanitarian assistance in our country’s history for the Ukrainians. The Ukrainians are not content with this, and they would like a government in Hungary which also says yes to Ukraine’s European Union membership and to providing financial assistance for Ukraine. A government which in actual fact also takes part in providing financial assistance for Ukraine as all EU countries, other than us and the Slovaks do, he pointed out.
The question is how Ukraine can contribute to a change of governments in Hungary, this is what they are pondering in Kiev and this is how they proceed.
He said they have information about the fact that the Ukrainians are providing rather sophisticated IT services for the Tisza Party free of charge. This is a documented and known fact which the national security committee of the Hungarian Parliament duly dealt with. Next, they are trying things such as what we now see, that there is no oil coming from Ukraine and if the Hungarian government were unable to take care of the country’s energy supply with cheap oil, then the price of petrol would go up to a thousand forints and household energy bills, too, would increase. It is rather difficult to win an election like this, and if that happens, “that is our responsibility,” he pointed out.
Regarding the Board of Peace, Mr Orbán indicated that they were currently focusing on Gaza, but they could in the future deal with resolving other hotspots as well. “An organisation has come into being which is focusing on Gaza in the first place for the time being, but I’d be surprised if we didn’t discuss the next hotspot at the second or third meeting. Regrettably, there are multiple options and offers,” the Prime Minister said.
Mr Orbán stressed that the Board of Peace was, in actual fact, a reaction as large international organisations such as the UN had for years been unable to fulfil their task of reducing the threat posed by and number of hotspots in the world. “There are a great many committees, a great many meetings, plenary sessions […] there is everything, and meanwhile the number of wars is increasing,” he added, indicating that it was this underlying situation that prompted the Americans’ initiative concerning the Board of Peace.
“Let’s not shut the old institutions down, who knows, they may come back to life,” but we should try to form country group cooperation schemes on the basis of another logic, schemes which rather than holding conferences make specific recommendations and take part in the resolution of the problem, he said, describing the US initiative.
He recalled that the idea of the Board of Peace had been prompted by the issue of Gaza, but they then realised that this method could also work in other parts of the world, and so they announced that rather than simply setting up a task force, they would aspire to something more, and so an international organisation came into being.
He drew attention to the fact that countries situated in the regions affected by conflict zones and in their neighbourhood take part in the Board of Peace, including the Arab world, Central Asia, the Middle East, while Europe is represented the least.
Mr Orbán also highlighted that while at first sight Hungary was not directly connected to the Gaza region, if we recall the 2015 migrant crisis, we can see that most of the migrants came from these crisis zones in the Middle East. So, since the incidents at Keleti Railway Station, every Hungarian has been fully aware that the Middle East is not as far away as it seems on the map. The connection is simple: if there is peace in the Middle East, then it is easier to protect the Hungarian border; if there is no peace in the Middle East, then it is difficult to protect the Hungarian border because the number of illegal migrants increases, he stated in summary.
He observed that “this is not unknown terrain for us” because Hungary had been present in the region, trying to help as part of the Hungary Helps Programme, for some time now.
Regarding the relationship between the Board of Peace and Europe, he highlighted that a number of European countries were affected – due to migration – as much as Hungary, but as they had not been involved in the initiative and “see these Trump-type gatherings” as alien to their disposition, they had kept their distance. However, as time goes by, there will be ever more of them; the first meeting of the Board of Peace was also attended – even if only as observers – by the Romanian president and the Italian foreign minister, and the Croatian commissioner of the European Commission, too, was there among the spectators. This shows that it is not a tenable situation in the long run that there is an international institution established for the management of hotspots also important for Europe which Europe stays out of.
“I’m not concerned that we might find ourselves all on our own,” he observed. “I’m sure that as it has been the case with other issues, we are pressing forward in the vanguard, and then the others will follow, too,” he said, adding that also in this case, it may prove to be a correct tenet that “Hungary is not right, but will be right.”
Concerning the war in Ukraine, he said the Americans keep making proposals, are in direct contact with the Russians, while the leaders of Europe have decided to continue the war. Mr Orbán added: European leaders are not planning or thinking about this, but have made a decision that the Russians must be defeated on Ukrainian soil and they are openly talking about this.
He underlined that this pointed not in the direction of peace, but in the direction of war. Mr Orbán said the issue of transatlantic cooperation, cooperation between America and Europe is becoming ever more complex.
In answer to a question about EU observers, the Prime Minister said now there is a not particularly sophisticated debate, preceding debates on meaningful questions, about whether it is appropriate that they came. This clearly shows the state Europe is in, the difference between America’s and Europe’s ability to take action at this point in time, he observed.
Regarding China’s approach to the Board of Peace, he said at the end of March, President Trump is going to China. There are great things in the air, the world will look different after the visit than before.
Concerning Argentinian President Javier Milei who was sitting next to Mr Orbán during the meeting, he said he is in the same line of business as himself, the only president with Messi’s strip behind his back. He also said that he likes people who – such as the Argentinian president – stick out from the crowd, who are brave enough to tackle issues their predecessors have failed to tackle.
In answer to another question, he said at this point in time, the Board of Peace is not a suitable forum for the management of the Russo-Ukrainian crisis. It is suitable for handling the Gaza conflict, and it is to be hoped now that the Americans will achieve a result within a traditional framework. The Board of Peace will not be able to deal with the resolution of other crisis spots until it has taken decisive steps for the resolution of the crisis in Gaza.
He said a new Palestinian administration must be set up within Gaza whose prospective leader was present at the meeting. It is further necessary to set up Palestinian law enforcement forces which are not under extreme jihadist influence; recruitment has started and the drafting of economic development plans broken down into sectors will also start soon.
As to whether the Gaza model can serve as some kind of a starting point for the resolution of the Russo-Ukrainian war, he said, in his view, direct and intensive American involvement is required, while they must also break through a barrier which he believes is not far off now. He indicated that he keeps trying – except his “spade is too small” – to induce the leader of the first major European country to come up with the proposal that the time has come for Europe to engage in direct talks with the Russian president.
If they do not want to be left out of the settlement of the Russo-Ukrainian war, the creation of a post-war European security system, then they cannot leave this to the Russians and the Americans. The European Union, too, must be there, but evidently the European institutions, the Commission are not fit for this job. The leader of one of the large European countries must undertake, in agreement with the others, to break the ice and say ‘the time has come for Europe, too, to engage in direct talks with the Russian president.’ If this happens, we will have taken a meaningful step forward, Mr Orbán stated in summary.
In connection with his earlier peace mission, Mr Orbán said, in the case of the Russo-Ukrainian war, Hungary has a vested interest in a swift peace deal, and in contrast to European leaders, Hungary believes that the reasonable course of action is not the extension of the war, but its conclusion within the shortest possible time. He stands for this opinion against European leaders, and also Brussels.
In continuation, he said Hungary has a sovereign government, and is not in need of “any kinds of Brussels crutches,” and so it is one of the very few European countries which is able, has the courage and wants to stand for peace even against Brussels or any European great power.
Mr Orbán said these have all increased Hungary’s value, and this is one of the reasons why it is gladly involved in peace initiatives even if the rest of the European Union’s Member States refuse to join. Hungary is “a country in demand,” we are invited into these organisations, he stated.
The Prime Minister was asked about a statement made by Tisza Party energy expert István Kapitány to the effect that the Orbán Government assumed an irresponsible risk by having made Hungary’s energy security solely dependent on the Druzhba crude oil pipeline which runs through a war zone. Mr Orbán said he is all for the refreshment of the political field and he is happy to see new people on the scene, but competence is a must. “If the intellectual level drops with the advent of new people, that doesn’t favour anyone,” he stressed.
He said anyone who wants to take part in the debates about the future of oil and energy should know that oil comes to Hungary through not one, but two pipelines: Druzhba is the main pipeline, and there is also a supplementary pipeline which “comes from the Croatians.” Tisza wants to diversify by detaching Hungary from Russian oil. If there are two pipelines, I cut one off and there is only one left, we do not call that diversification, he added.
Regarding Tisza leader Péter Magyar’s talks in Munich, the Prime Minister said the Munich agreement will go down in Hungarian political history as a landmark event. He indicated: they know from reliable sources that there, a pact was concluded with the mediation, under the supervision or upon the order of the Germans, about creating a Brussels-Kiev and Tisza Party axis. According to the agreement, if there is a new government in Hungary, it will support Ukraine in the continuation of the war, will support Ukraine’s European Union membership and will surrender Hungary’s veto right in Brussels on the issues of the war and foreign policy.
In answer to the question of whether Mr Trump’s statements praising him at the meeting of the Board of Peace will play a part in the election campaign, the Prime Minister said everyone can see that we are living in dangerous war times, and at times like this, security is the most important. The question in the election is who is able to provide security for the country. Security requires two things in turn: contacts and experience, and there is no doubt that “there is much more of both on our side,” Mr Orbán added.
He also said that, in his view, everyone knows whom they will vote for, except the time has not yet come for them to deal with this issue. Therefore, he believes that the election will be a genuine mobilisation race: who will be able to induce more likeminded people to not just think about the elections, but to go and cast their votes?
