Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto strongly defended Budapest’s pragmatic cooperation with Russia, saying Hungary’s foreign policy is guided solely by national interest, not external pressure. He argued that energy deals with Russia keep fuel and gas prices low for Hungarians and insisted cooperation ends where Hungary’s interests do. Szijjarto rejected criticism linking Hungary to Moscow, opposed Ukraine’s EU accession, and accused Kyiv of interfering in Hungarian domestic politics. He also blasted the European Union for what he called a legally fraudulent ban on Russian energy purchases, saying it violates EU treaties and threatens Hungary’s energy security.