On February 7, speaking at a campaign rally in Szombathely, western Hungary, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban accused Ukraine of weakening Hungary's security.
Ukrainians must stop the continuous demands in Brussels to cut Hungary off from cheap Russian energy sources," Orban said.
As long as Ukraine insists on cutting Hungary off from cheap Russian energy sources, Ukraine will not only be our opponent, but our enemy," Orban added, warning that households will face a sharp increase in utility bills.
Mr. Orban continued to reiterate his opposition to Ukraine joining the European Union (EU), saying that a "military or economic alliance" with Kiev would ultimately "lead to trouble".
Budapest has long opposed the EU's efforts to gradually eliminate Russian energy sources within the framework of sanctions imposed on Moscow after the Ukraine conflict broke out in February 2022.
Previously, on February 2, Hungary announced that it would sue the EU regarding the Russian energy ban that the country called "suicide".
Meanwhile, the European Commission (EC) is discussing the 20th sanction package against Russia, which includes a ban on maritime services for Russian crude oil. Last month, the European Council approved a roadmap to end all remaining Russian gas supplies by the end of 2027.
