Orban threatens force over oil dispute; Zelensky says Ukrainian army could 'speak' to one EU funds blocker

Politics Orban threatens force over oil dispute; Zelensky says Ukrainian army could 'speak' to one EU funds blocker March 5, 2026 6:28 pm • 3 min read by Tim Zadorozhnyy President Volodymyr Zelensky said on March 5 he hopes the blocking of a 90 billion euro ($107 billion) European Union loan for Ukraine by "one person" will end, warning that otherwise he could give that individual's address to Ukraine's military. Zelensky did not name the person, but the remarks appear aimed at Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban , who has blocked the loan amid a dispute over the suspension of the Druzhba pipeline. Orban wrote on X prior that his country would "break" what he described as a Ukrainian oil blockade "by force." "There will be no deals, no compromise," Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban wrote . Become a member – go ad‑free The Ukrainian president didn't hold back. "We hope that one person in the EU will not block the 90 billion euros — or at least the first tranche of it — so that Ukrainian soldiers receive the weapons they need," Zelensky said . "Otherwise, we will simply give the address of that person to our Armed Forces — our guys can call him and speak to him in their own language." The standoff marks the latest escalation in tensions between Ukraine and Hungary, one of the EU's most Moscow-friendly governments, over disruptions to Russian oil transit. Become a member – go ad‑free The Druzhba pipeline, which supplies Russian crude to Hungary and Slovakia, has been offline since late January after a Russian strike damaged energy infrastructure in western Ukraine, according to Kyiv. Budapest and Bratislava accuse Ukraine of deliberately halting transit. Hungary vetoed the EU's 20th sanctions package against Russia on Feb. 23 and also blocked the loan. A source familiar with Hungary's position told the Kyiv Independent that Budapest intends to maintain its stance until oil deliveries through Druzhba resume. During the same briefing, Zelensky said he does not supp...