Hungarians find it unacceptable that Ukraine is using gas transit as blackmail

The shutdown of Ukrainian gas transit has reignited the debate on how long the European Union and its Member States can tolerate Volodymyr Zelensky’s pro-war pressure, which is causing serious economic damage to the European community. Research by Századvég shows that three quarters of Hungarians find it unacceptable that Ukraine is using the restriction of oil and gas transit to exert political pressure.

Ukraine has not renewed its gas transit contract with Russia’s Gazprom. The move has increased gas prices on exchanges across Europe and has particularly affected supplies to the Central European region. According to the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement, the parties cannot threaten each other’s energy security by restricting the export, import or transit of energy resources. Yet the Ukrainian leadership consistently uses its energy market position to exert political pressure: by sanctioning Lukoil, a supplier on the Friendship pipeline, last summer, and boycotting the transit of the Brotherhood pipeline this year, it is trying to impose its pro-war stance on Hungary and Slovakia.

The Ukrainian ambitions are rejected by 75% of Hungarians.

This high rate is not surprising given that, in addition to large-scale humanitarian aid, both Hungary and Slovakia also provide significant energy assistance to Ukraine in the form of fuel and electricity.

The behaviour of the European Commission is just as unfair as the Ukrainian leadership’s attempts to exert pressure. Although Brussels should take action against breaches of the Association Agreement, the Commission has demonstratively sided with Ukraine against the Member States and EU citizens concerned. The results of the opinion poll show that the Brussels positions are not only contrary to the interests of the European Union, but also to the expectations of the Hungarian people.