PM Orbán opened by saying that leading a nation inevitably means facing difficult moments, and that anyone who takes on the responsibility of governing must be prepared for them. Hungary, he said, is a country that prefers building and development over confrontation, but it must always be ready to defend itself. “In one hand there is always a trowel, in the other a sword,” the prime minister said, adding that Hungarians will always choose building over the sword if they can.
A central topic of the rally was the growing dispute with Ukraine, particularly the oil blockade. PM Orbán said Hungary is not seeking conflict, but Kyiv has opened a western conflict against Hungary instead of focusing on its war with Russia.
“We will never agree under the weight of blackmail,” PM Orbán declared, adding that Hungary has its own strategy to deal with the situation, noting that “they will run out of money sooner than we run out of oil.”
The prime minister also stated Hungary must win the struggle with Ukraine over reopening the oil pipeline, calling it an existential issue for the country. “We must win this fight to reopen the oil pipeline,” PM Orbán said, adding that the government’s strategy is already in motion and expressing confidence that it will lead to results, possibly even before the upcoming elections.
The prime minister also referred to a recently intercepted Ukrainian convoy transporting large amounts of cash and gold through Hungary. While saying the authorities still have unanswered questions, he suggested that the case raises concerns about foreign influence. PM Orbán stated that the scale of pro-Ukraine political and media voices in Hungary does not reflect the views of the broader public. “I suspect that some of the pro-Ukraine voices in Hungary come not only from the heart, but from the pocket,” he said.
Energy security was another central issue, which the prime minister linked directly to the ongoing dispute with Ukraine. He highlighted that Ukraine had already disrupted Hungary’s energy supply earlier in the war by shutting down the pipeline that carried Russian gas through Ukrainian territory. Hungary avoided a deeper crisis, he said, because the government had previously built a southern bypass route that allows Russian gas to reach Hungary without passing through Ukraine.
PM Orbán also noted that Hungary’s system of capped household utility prices protects families from dramatic costs, saying that without it every Hungarian household would effectively lose one month’s salary each year. He warned that both the current oil blockade and the earlier gas blockade threaten that model.
The prime minister also warned that energy infrastructure in the region remains vulnerable, saying that if the Nord Stream pipeline could be destroyed, southern routes could also become targets.
Despite the Ukrainian oil blockade, around 40 percent of the electricity consumed in Ukraine still arrives through transmission lines running from Slovakia and Hungary. PM Orbán underlined that Hungary has avoided retaliatory steps that would harm ordinary Ukrainians, stressing that “our enemy is not the Ukrainian people, but the leaders who have turned Ukraine against us”.
Turning to Ukraine’s long-term future, PM Orbán said the country’s political and geographic situation remains uncertain because of the ongoing war. He reiterated that Ukraine’s accession to the European Union would pose serious risks for Hungary. “If Ukraine enters the European Union, all of Hungary’s money will go to Ukraine,” the prime minister said, warning that EU resources and additional financial burdens would be redirected toward Kyiv.
Instead of EU membership, PM Orbán said Hungary would support a strategic partnership with Ukraine that benefits both sides but does not grant the same rights as EU membership.
Hungary’s strategy, he said, is therefore clear: remain outside the war and protect the country’s economic stability and energy security.
Looking ahead, the prime minister said the broader question facing Europe is whether it will continue moving toward war. “Europe is marching into war,” PM Orbán said, adding that Hungary’s goal must be to remain outside that conflict.
He emphasized that the country could remain a place of “peace, calm, and building,” provided it maintains strong national leadership and refuses policies that would drag it into the war.