The minister described Kyiv’s move as “unacceptable and intolerable,” adding that further countermeasures are under consideration.
Minister Gulyás reported that the cabinet was forced to address Hungary’s energy security at its latest meeting. Since February 6, despite there has been no technical obstacle preventing the restart of deliveries through the Druzhba pipeline, Ukraine chose not to resume shipments, a decision the minister characterized as a deliberate step causing damage to two EU member states, Hungary and Slovakia.
To safeguard supply security, the government has released the strategic oil reserve, which Minister Gulyás said is sufficient for three months. In parallel, MOL has ordered 500,000 tons of Russian crude oil to be delivered via Croatia and the Adriatic pipeline. While there had been debate over whether the Adriatic pipeline has sufficient capacity to supply both Hungary and Slovakia, the minister stated that this issue can be resolved.
Minister Gulyás also confirmed that in response to Ukraine’s hostility, diesel exports to Ukraine have been halted. In addition, the government is examining the possibility of suspending electricity and natural gas deliveries to Ukraine if Kyiv maintains its decision to withhold oil transit.
Responding to journalists’ questions, Minister Gulyás noted that the Druzhba pipeline itself has not been attacked in recent months, only a storage facility near the line. This, he argued, would not have justified a prolonged shutdown, suggesting that the decision to stop deliveries must have been taken at the highest political level.
On foreign policy, Minister Gulyás announced that Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has traveled to Washington to attend the Board of Peace summit. The minister said the international order is being reshaped and that there is a need for a body specifically focused on peace. Hungary supports all initiatives aimed at ending the war in Ukraine as soon as possible, he added, stressing that membership in the Board of Peace entails no financial contribution for Hungary.
Turning to domestic matters, Minister Gulyás highlighted the continued success of the Home Start housing loan program. More than 25,000 loans have already been disbursed under the scheme, which he described as the first such program since 1990. The average age of borrowers is 34, and every second application comes from young married couples.
Addressing concerns that the program could drive up housing prices, the minister stated that the increase in property prices has been slower than during the same period last year, while rental prices are stagnating.
Concluding, government spokesperson Eszter Vitályos added that in the past week alone, new investments worth HUF 60 billion have been inaugurated. Marking Hungarian Nurses’ Day, the spokesperson noted that nurses’ wages now exceed HUF 800,000 on average, underlining that their work is indispensable and that the government values their contribution.