BUDAPEST, Feb. 23 (Xinhua) -- Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said Monday that his country will resist what he termed as Ukraine's "open political blackmail" regarding the suspension of crude oil deliveries via the Druzhba pipeline.
Addressing the opening of the parliament's spring session, Orban accused Ukraine of attempting to exert pressure on Hungary by halting oil transit. He said that Budapest will not yield and remains committed to defending its national interests.
The prime minister criticized the European Union (EU) for its stance on the matter, claiming that Brussels has sided with non-EU member Ukraine over Hungary.
"As long as there is a national government in Hungary ... we will not detach ourselves from Russian energy sources, we will not pay Ukraine, and we will not support the war," Orban said, referring to the conflict between Russia and Ukraine that began four years ago.
Hungary, in coordination with Slovakia, has moved to block certain EU decisions concerning Ukraine until the resumption of oil deliveries, Orban said, stressing that abandoning Russian energy supplies will undermine Hungary's policy of reducing utility prices and lead to a significant increase in household costs.
The remarks followed statements by Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Peter Szijjarto, who announced on Friday that Hungary would block the disbursement of a planned 90-billion-euro EU military loan for Ukraine and the adoption of the 20th sanctions package against Russia until the pipeline flow was restored. ■