Hungary will block any EU attempts to put sanctions on Russian oil and gas imported into the bloc.
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Hungary's newly re-elected prime minister, Viktor Orban, stressed on Wednesday that Hungary will block any attempt by the EU to extend sanctions to Russian oil and gas.
He also dismissed the rule of law spat with Brussels.
Orban secured a fourth term at the helm of the country in Sunday's legislative election as his nationalist-populist Fidesz party gathered more than 53% of the vote and obtained a two-thirds parliamentary "super-majority."
'It will kill Hungary'
The pro-Russian leader, seen as an ally to President Vladimir Putin, said that as with fellow EU member states, he puts the blame for the war on Moscow, describing it as the "aggressor" and calling for "atrocities against civilians" to be strongly condemned and investigated.
On sanctions against Russia, he said Budapest has so far backed the different rounds, because "unity (in the EU) is important" but warned that extending sanctions to include the oil and gas sectors is "a red line".
"It will kill Hungary," he argued, adding that the sanctions are also significantly damaging the European economy.
He called on Brussels to take "immediate action" to mitigate the impact sanctions are having on energy prices and said that Hungary is prepared to pay for Russian energy products in roubles if asked to do so.
The Kremlin has passed a decree demanding foreign buyers pay in the domestic currency as sanctions have largely disconnected Russian banks from global systems and frozen the Russian Central Bank's foreign reserves.
Orban also defended his action with Putin and said he invited him, along with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, France's Emmanuel Macron and Germany's Olaf Scholz, to meet in Budapest to discuss a possible armistice or ceasefire.
"The response was positive but the Russian President says he has certain conditions," he added, without elaborating on these.
He also reiterated that Hungary will not provide any weapons to Ukraine and rebuked Zelenskyy, who on Sunday had criticised Western leaders, namechecking Orban, for not providing Ukraine with certain weapons including fighter jets, tanks, and anti-missile systems.
President Zelenskyy "has a bad habit of telling everyone what to do," Orban told reporters. "It would be better if he dropped that habit. It's unusual for someone in trouble to ask for help and tell you to help him, and if you don't help him, he'll tell you off."
'No outstanding issues' with EU over rule of law
Orban, who has built his career on Brussels-bashing while pocketing EU money, spoke a day after Ursula von der Leyen poured cold water on his election victory by announcing that the European Commission will send a letter of notification to Budapest about triggering the rule of law mechanism.
This could see EU funds withheld from Hungary over rule of law breaches.
The Hungarian prime minister said however: "I'd like to see that letter, all the more so because I don't actually understand the situation."
Von der Leyen had said in her address to MEPs on Tuesday that Brussels and Budapest have "not been able to find common ground" on how to tackle corruption in the country.
Orban said he did "not know of any outstanding issues" and that "it's just not true, we have agreed on all these issues".
Regarding Article 7 proceedings, launched by the Commission in 2018 against Warsaw and Budapest and that open the door to possible sanctions including a suspension of voting rights on the European Council, Orban confirmed that "with the Polish, we are in a mutual defensive alliance. We will not allow each other to be excluded from European decision-making".
The procedures have stalled because sanctions required unanimity among leaders.
Orban, who has in the past thinly referred to a possible Huxit in the hope of pressuring the bloc into caving to his demand, stressed on Wednesday that "we imagine our future in the EU".
He pledged to "actively participate in forming the EU of the future" and also spoke of stronger ties with NATO, of which Hungary is a member.
_Orban's comments came at a press conference involving international media on Wednesday. Read below how the event unfolded. _
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Zelenskyy has 'bad habit' of telling people what to do: Orban
Orban said that the Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, "has a bad habit of telling everybody what to do."
"It would be better if he dropped that habit. It's unusual for someone in trouble to ask for help and tell you to help him, and if you don't help in, he'll tell you off," he added.
He had reiterated earlier in the conference that "Hungary will not be delivering weapons to Ukraine. We will not succumb to the pressure."
I 'won't concede on gender: Orban
Budapest has been condemned by Brussels because of a law that criminalise teaching about homosexuality and transgender issues to children.
A referendum on the law, held on Sunday alongside the election, was ruled not valid because fewer than half of the country's registered voters cast a ballot.
Orban stressed on Wednesday that he will "not concede anything on the gender issue".
Further oil and gas sanctions against Russia 'red line': Orban
The Hungarian leader stressed that Hungary is against any extension of sanctions against Russian oil and gas, describing it as a "red line".
He added that such an extension "will kill Hungary."
Hungary and Poland in 'defensive alliance' over EU punitive measures
Orban said that "with the Polish, we are in a mutual defensive alliance. We will not allow each other to be excluded from European decision-making."
The EU has triggered Article 7 procedures against Warsaw and Budapest in 2018 that open the door to sanctions within the EU including a suspension of voting rights on the Council.
But the procedures have stalled because moving them forward requires unanimity among leaders.
Orban conceded however that Poland and Hungary have divergences, especially on foreign policy.
'I don't understand' the situation over rule of law mechanism: Orban
The Hungarian Prime Minister said regarding Ursula von der Leyen's announcement that the Commission will send a letter of notification to Budapest about triggering the rule of law mechanism: "I'd like to see that letter all the more so because I don't actually understand the situation."
"I do not know of any outstanding issues", he said, referring to von der Leyen's comment that Brussels and Budapest have been unable to find common down to crack down on corruption in Hungary.
"It's just not true, we have agreed on all these issues," he argued.
Hungary needs strong opposition: Orban
The populist leader said he sympathises with the opposition.
"I have lost enough elections so I understand what happens on the other side," he said. "I understand that it's difficult to actually process the defeat."
"I wish them all the best", he went on, adding: "Let them get their act together."
"We need a parliament in which, besides the government, there are other voices," he said.
Russia and Hungary 'opposite parties': Orban
Orban stressed that when he speaks to Russian authorities including Putin, "we are on opposite sides" as "Hungary is a member of NATO, Hungary is a member of the EU."
"We have built a relationship that is functioning but is falling apart," he added, stressing that for better or for worse: "Russia is going to be around."
"They will be where they are and we will also be located where we are," he said.
Russia is the aggressor: Orban
Orban, who is pro-Russia and seen as a close ally of Putin, was pointedly asked who he thought started the war.
"It is quite clear," he said. "This is war that was started by Russia", also describing Moscow as "the aggressor."
He called for "all the atrocities" to be investigated and said that "any atrocity against civilians has to be firmly condemned".
Sanctions on Russia hurting EU: Orban
Orban said that the bloc's economy is becoming weaker, naming sanctions against Russia as "the most important contributing factor."
He said that "we have to be prepared to pay the price".
He also added that Hungary backed the sanctions, despite knowing it was not necessarily in its best interest, because "unity is important".
"We are members of one union, so be it," he said.
'Immediate action' on energy needed from Brussels: Orban
The newly-reelected Prime Minister called for "immediate action by Brussels" to tackle "high energy prices".
He said Hungary has brought forward "low-key proposals" but that he now going to "be more outspoken".
Asked about whether he would pay for Russian gas and oil in roubles, as requested by Russian authorities hit hard by Western sanctions disconnecting key banks from global systems, he said: "it wouldn't be a problem for us to pay in roubles."
"If the Russians want to be paid in roubles, we will pay in roubles," he added.
Hungary not isolated in EU: Orban
Asked about how few EU leaders publicly congratulated him on his election victory, Orban said: "every single neighbour congratulated me, the president of the European Council and NATO's Secretary-General, I'll make do with that."
On receiving congratulations by Putin and Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko, he said Hungary has many "friends worldwide" and namechecked Colombian authorities and Turkey's president.
He added that the narrative that "an EU member that is also a NATO member can be isolated, I always thought it absurd."
Orban asks Putin, Zelenskyy to come to Budapest
The Hungarian Prime Minister said that "all our influence we have we're going to use in order to reach an armistice, ceasefire", warning that "the war is becoming more and more brutal".
He said he invited Russia's Vladimir Putin, Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelenskyy, France's Emmanuel Macron and Germany's Olaf Scholz to come to Budapest for talks.
"The response was positive but the Russian president says he has certain conditions," he added.
Hungary's future is in the EU: Orban
Orban, who has in the past thinly referred to a possible Huxit in the hope of pressuring the bloc into caving to his demand, stressed on Wednesday that "we imagine our future in the EU".
He pledged to "actively participate in forming the EU of the future" and also spoke of stronger ties with NATO, of which Hungary is a member.
He said that Hungary wants "to build an armed force that is stronger than today", adding that "if we are stronger NATO wins".
Hungary, Poland 'most successful' countries in the EU
The press conference has started.
Orban told reporters that "if you take off your ideological glasses" then Poland and Hungary are the "most successful" countries in the bloc, posting "the largest economic growth" and the "lowest unemployment rates" in the EU.
EU to trigger rule of law conditionality mechanism
Ursula von der Leyen announced yesterday that the Commission has written to Hungary to inform them that they would trigger the mechanism which could see EU funds withheld from Budapest.
Her announcement was met with a round of applause in the European parliament where MEPs have been calling on the Commission to use the mechanism since it was approved by the bloc's top court in February.
German Green MEP, Rasmus Andresen, told Euronews, for instance, that it should have been used sooner:
"One of the reasons why Orbán is as strong as he is, is because many in Brussels had not learnt lessons in the past and actually supported him in the past and now we really need to speed up on issues like the rule of law mechanism, but also when it comes to other sanctions we can do against Hungary and Viktor Orbán," Andresen said.
Some MEPs have also called for the new regulation to be used against Poland, which has also curtailed its judiciary.
How the EU has been powerless to stop Hungary's democratic backsliding
Orban has repeatedly drawn the ire of Brussels with some of the reforms curtailing the independence of the judiciary, the media and civil society as well as for his attacks against the LGBTQI+ community and he has mostly gotten away with it.
That's because EU institutions have done too little too late, experts have told Euronews.
Key takeaways from the election
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The war in Ukraine helped Orban and Fidesz: Orban, a longtime ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, has insisted that Hungary remain neutral and maintain its close economic ties with Moscow, including continuing to import Russian gas and oil on favourable terms.
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No end in sight for Hungary's scraps with Brussels: This result gives Orban, and his government, a strong mandate to say that Hungarians voted and want them to continue running the country the way they have been, especially when it comes to dealing with European institutions in Brussels.
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Hungary's urban-rural divide looks as strong as ever: The results show that Hungary is still divided politically. In the capital Budapest, the six unified opposition parties won the biggest share of the vote. Fidesz dominated elsewhere in the country.
Good afternoon. My name is Alice Tidey and I'll be taking you through Viktor Orban's press conference.