Ukraine is ready to fill "any vacant space" in the EU and NATO should Hungary decide to withdraw its membership to these organizations to join blocs led by Russia, its Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday.
"Ukraine would be ready to fill any vacant space in the EU and NATO if Hungary chooses to vacate it in favor of membership in the CIS (Commonwealth of Independent States) or CSTO (Collective Security Treaty Organization)," the ministry said in a statement.
Commenting on Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto's remarks that Ukraine's decision to halt Russian gas transit through its territory had increased prices, the ministry said the statements were part of "politically motivated information campaign intended for domestic consumption," recalling that the European Commission said on Jan. 1 that the decision did not have an adverse effect on the EU's energy security or consumer prices.
"The sole reason for the challenges in the European energy market has always been Russia," the statement said, accusing Moscow of wielding energy as a weapon "for decades," as well as of blackmail and undermining energy security.
It argued that the era of European dependence on Russian energy resources is "coming to an end," with the European Commission and European countries having diversified their energy supply with those from the US and the Middle East.
"Only two out of twenty-seven EU countries have struggled with this task and are now attempting to pass their problems with the blame on others," the ministry said.
The statement said Hungary should openly acknowledge if it "prioritizes strengthening Russia over the EU and the United States."
"If Hungary genuinely wishes to contribute to ending the war, it should start by not undermining unity within the EU and instead work to strengthen the energy security and independence of its own country and citizens alongside the rest of Europe and the United States," it added.
On Jan. 1, a five-year deal between Moscow and Kyiv on the transit of Russian gas through Ukraine expired as the latter refused to extend the deal "in the interests of national security."
Hungarian authorities have yet to comment on Ukraine's remarks.
The EU opened accession negotiations with Ukraine in December 2023.
Kyiv also applied for NATO membership in September 2022, months after Russia started its "special military operation" in Ukraine.
