The Hungarian parliament passed a resolution on March 10 rejecting Ukraine’s EU membership, military support for Ukraine, the transformation of the EU into a military alliance, and measures that "undermine the sovereignty of member states," state news agency MTI reports.

The resolution passed with 142 votes in favour, 28 against, and four abstentions. It argued that EU leaders were making decisions that escalated tensions and risked dragging Europe into war. It explicitly rejects Ukraine’s EU accession, stating that admitting a country at war would entangle the bloc in the conflict and that Kyiv fails to meet membership criteria. The resolution urged the government to avoid contributing to Ukraine's EU accession talks, to refuse financial or military aid to Kyiv, and to prevent Hungary or the EU from being drawn into the war.

The document highlights that the EU has already provided Ukraine with €193bn since the start of the war, nearly triple Hungary’s net EU funding since 2004, and plans an additional €90bn loan for 2026–2027, repayable only through post-war Russian reparations. It warns that Ukraine’s share of the EU’s next seven-year budget could exceed €360bn, funded by cuts to cohesion and agricultural subsidies.

The resolution notes that Ukraine has requested €800bn for reconstruction and a further $700bn to cover military needs over the next decade, which would burden each Hungarian family with nearly HUF1.4mn (€3,500) in costs. It also called for robust action to block EU policies that divert Hungarian funds or EU resources to Ukraine and rejected attempts by EU institutions to bypass unanimity requirements.

On the same day, parliament has also adopted legislation granting the Hungarian tax and customs authority (NAV) more power to investigate Ukrainian cash and gold in transit. The mandate allows NAV 60 days to determine the origin, destination, use, and purpose of the money. It may also retain the seized €35mn and $40mn in cash, as well as 91kg of gold bars, for the duration of the investigation.

Under the new legislation, NAV is also permitted to collect information covertly as part of a special investigation. The inquiry must clarify whether some of the money and gold were used in Hungary, who may have benefited, and whether "crime, terrorist or political organisations present in Hungary" may have received any of it, the statement said.

As bne IntelliNews reported earlier, tensions between Budapest and Kyiv are escalating ahead of the April 12 parliamentary election, with polls suggesting Prime Minister Viktor Orban is trailing opposition challenger Peter Magyar by 10–20pp.

As in the 2022 and 2024 EP elections, Fidesz is playing the "Ukraine card," portraying itself as the secure choice and the only party capable of keeping Hungary out of the war. The narrative has been reinforced by massive propaganda on all media channels.

Posters targeting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy have appeared across Hungary, while online videos circulating on pro-government channels depict him as a puppet of Western powers. Fidesz has also released an AI-generated video, showing Hungarian soldiers being captured on the front and facing execution by a soldier sporting an SS uniform.

Opposition leader Peter Magyar warned on March 10 that Fidesz would release dozens of AI-generated videos targeting their candidates. This, in his view, could be part of the Russian-style propaganda campaign backed by specialists linked to the military intelligence service, the GRU. Vsquare learned from EU intelligence sources that Moscow sent a team under diplomatic cover to Budapest in January to coordinate a hybrid operation in favour of Fidesz. The Russian embassy denied reports of direct interference in the election, but openly criticised Peter Magyar for raising the issue. 

The dispute between Budapest and Kyiv deepened further after Russian strikes damaged sections of the Druzhba pipeline running through Ukraine at the end of January, a key route supplying Russian crude to Hungary and Slovakia. Kyiv temporarily shut the pipeline for repairs, prompting Budapest to accuse Ukraine of deliberately delaying restoration.

Ukrainian officials rejected the claim, arguing that repairing infrastructure used to transport Russian oil was not an immediate wartime priority.

Orban has responded by blocking approval of a proposed €90bn EU financial support package for Ukraine and warned that Hungary could force Ukraine to reopen the Druzhba pipeline.

The recent holdup of a Ukrainian convoy carrying cash and gold could also be part of that tactic, as Construction and Transport Minister Janos Lazar openly acknowledged at a public forum that Hungary would retain cash and gold until oil flows resumed.

Over the past five weeks, Orban has accused the Ukrainian leader of blackmailing and creating an energy crisis to help opposition leader Peter Magyar come to power. This narrative is likely to remain the central message of Fidesz’s campaign, aimed at distracting voters from the cost of living and the state of public services, while Magyar has focused on domestic issues where he has an advantage, according to analysts at the Policy Solutions think-tank.

Hungary’s veteran leader appears to be interested in escalating the conflict with Ukraine, but the strategy carries the risk that voters could grow weary of constant confrontation, according to analyst Andras-Nagy Biro. This presents an opportunity for Magyar to position himself as a unifying force.

Policy Solutions estimates that the two main parties are targeting the 6-7% of undecided voters, roughly 500,000 people. Among this group, Orban appears to have an advantage on security issues, while trailing on domestic matters. Analysts agree that the election outcome will hinge on how effectively each party can mobilise its base. At a recent rally, the prime minister acknowledged that Fidesz’s "mobilisation rate" is 80% compared with 90% for his rivals.

Fidesz appears increasingly desperate to highlight even minor political gains, portraying a low-profile local government by-election over the weekend in a northern industrial city, Kazinczbarczika, as a significant victory. The seat had been held by opposition parties for 16 years, but turnout was just 23%. Fidesz secured the mandate with only 260 votes, while Tisza did not field a candidate.