Hungarian lawmakers passed a resolution urging the government to stop sending funds or weapons to Ukraine, citing fears of escalating the conflict.
Parliamentary Resolution
On Tuesday (March 10), 142 parliamentarians voted in favor of the resolution, with 28 against and four abstaining, according to KyivIndependent. The resolution calls on the Hungarian government to avoid sending money or weapons to Ukraine, instead supporting international peace efforts, stated government spokesperson Zoltan Kovacs.
According to Kovacs, the resolution notes that opposition to Ukraine’s EU accession “stems from the fact that the country is at war, and its admission could make the European Union a direct party to the conflict.”
Further Aid at Expense of Funds
The resolution calls on the government to “prevent both Hungary and the EU from being drawn into war,” repeating Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s narrative that Western military support for Ukraine hinders achieving a peaceful solution.
Lawmakers also warned against “initiatives that would transform the EU into a military alliance.” They emphasized that continued EU aid to Ukraine would come at the expense of cohesion funds and agricultural support for member states. Orbán has long opposed Ukraine’s entry into the European Union.
Budapest-Kyiv Tensions
Relations between Budapest and Kyiv have been strained for years. The latest escalation occurred when the Druzhba oil pipeline, transporting Russian oil to Hungary and Slovakia through Ukraine, was damaged in a Russian attack at the end of January. Ukrainian authorities assure the pipeline is being repaired, while Orbán’s government maintains that Ukrainian authorities are deliberately delaying its restoration, calling these actions “blackmail.”
Last week, Volodymyr Zelensky announced that the pipeline would be operational in about a month and a half. The Budapest government stated that until oil transport resumes, it would block the 20th EU sanctions package against Russia and an EU loan for Kyiv worth 90 billion euros.