Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has announced an emergency economic meeting in response to what he describes as a ‘Ukrainian energy threat.’ In a video statement released on social media, Orban expressed concern over the European Union's intentions to support Ukraine, which he claimed could lead to severe economic repercussions for Hungarian families.

He emphasized fears that an EU decision to block Russian gas and oil supplies would jeopardize Hungary’s energy security.

Orban specifically pointed to the potential cessation of gas transit through Ukraine and highlighted the European Commission's plans to reduce reliance on Russian energy resources.

He warned that such actions could sharply increase costs for Hungarian households, estimating that the average electricity bill, currently at 7,000 forints (approximately 18 euros), could double to 14,000 forints (35 euros), while current gas bills of 16,000 forints (40 euros) could soar to 54,000 forints (134 euros).

The Prime Minister also forecasted that Hungary might need to allocate an additional 800 billion forints (around 2 billion euros) in the event of a gas supply cut by Ukraine.

He asserted that one possible response to mitigate these financial strains would be for the Hungarian government to block any EU decisions in Brussels that could adversely affect the country.

Additionally, Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto previously identified Ukraine as a significant contributor to the ongoing energy crisis in the EU, noting that the actions taken by Kyiv have placed several Central European nations in precarious situations with regard to energy supply.

Meanwhile, Serbia has taken steps to ensure gas transit for these affected countries.