Minister Gulyás underlined that the section of the pipeline supplying Hungary did not suffer damage that would justify the suspension of deliveries, and that President Volodymyr Zelensky and the Ukrainian leadership are consciously applying pressure on Hungary by refusing to restart oil transit.
Prime Minister Orbán has also addressed the issue directly in an open letter to President Zelensky, calling on Ukraine to immediately reopen the pipeline and stop endangering Hungary’s energy supply.
The decision affects not only Hungary but also Slovakia, putting the energy security of two European Union member states at risk. Budapest and Bratislava requested that their experts be allowed to inspect the pipeline, but Ukraine has not granted access.
Minister Gulyás also criticized Brussels’ position in the dispute. Hungary had previously asked for European Union financial support to convert the Százhalombatta refinery to process Brent-type crude oil. Since such support was not provided, Hungary secured an exemption from EU sanctions in order to continue importing Russian Urals crude. Forcing a rapid transition without financial backing, the minister argued, would impose severe economic burdens.
He pointed out that the current price difference between Urals and Brent crude exceeds 20 dollars per barrel. If the refinery were unable to operate due to the absence of Russian crude, fuel prices in Hungary and across Central and Eastern Europe could rise sharply, potentially exceeding HUF 1,000 per liter.
Minister Gulyás stated that Kyiv would not have taken this step without at least tacit approval from Brussels. In response, Hungary is blocking the €90 billion European Union financial package intended for Ukraine.
Given the security implications, the Defense Council ordered reinforced protection of critical energy infrastructure, with the Hungarian Armed Forces participating in the measures. A full drone flight ban has been introduced over Szabolcs-Szatmár-Bereg County as a precautionary step. Minister Gulyás stressed that the situation does not threaten the upcoming elections and all state institutions remain stable.
Turning to domestic matters, the government decided that all teachers will receive a one-time payment of HUF 150,000 by March 20. In church-run institutions, the payment will be transferred in early April for technical reasons. The measure is being financed in part (12 percent) from European Union sources and the rest (88 percent) from the Hungarian budget.
Hungary has already committed to raising teachers’ salaries to 80 percent of the average graduate wage by 2031. In the current cycle, teachers’ wages have more than doubled, reaching an average of approximately HUF 900,000 per month, the minister added.