Hungary is beefing up security at its energy sites as Prime Minister Viktor Orbán accuses Ukraine of threatening his country’s energy supply. Orbán — a vocal ally of President Donald Trump — published a scathing open letter to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in which he accused Kyiv of pursing an «anti-Hungarian policy.»

«In recent days, you have blocked the Friendship oil pipeline, which is critical to Hungary’s energy supply,» Orbán’s open letter, which he published on X, read. «Your actions are against Hungary’s interests and endanger the secure and affordable energy supply of Hungarian families. I therefore call on you to change your anti-Hungarian policy!»

On Wednesday, Orbán ordered increased security at critical energy infrastructure sites, The Associated Press reported. The prime minister’s order came as Budapest accused Ukraine of blocking the Druzhba pipeline, through which Russian oil is delivered to Hungary, but it crosses Kyiv’s territory. Ukrainian officials have denied the allegations, according to the AP, saying that the pipeline was hit in a Russian drone attack.

In a video posted on social media, Orbán claimed Ukraine was using an «oil blockade» to pressure Hungary and that Hungarian national security services showed Ukraine was «preparing further actions to disrupt the operation of Hungary’s energy system,» the AP reported.

«We will deploy soldiers and the necessary equipment to repel attacks near key energy facilities,» Orbán said, according to the AP. «The police will patrol with increased forces around designated power plants, distribution stations and control centers.»

The accusations lobbed against Ukraine also come as Orbán faces an upcoming election. As the election nears, Hungary has seen billboards across the country showing AI-generated images of Zelenskyy holding out his hand as if asking for money while surrounded by European officials, according to the AP.

The Druzhba oil pipeline between Hungary and Russia is seen at the Hungarian MOL Group’s Danube Refinery in Szazhalombatta, Hungary, May 18, 2022. (Bernadett Szabo/File Photo/Reuters)

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Hungary recently threatened to block a proposed €90 billion European Union loan to Ukraine — worth roughly $106 billion — over the blockade of the Druzhba pipeline.

Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó said on Friday that «Ukraine is blackmailing» his country and that Kyiv was coordinating with Belgium and the Hungarian opposition to «push fuel prices higher before the elections.»

«By blocking oil transit to Hungary through the Druzhba pipeline, Ukraine violates the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement, breaching its commitments to the European Union. We will not give in to this blackmail,» Szijjártó added.

Orbán also accused Ukraine, the Hungarian opposition and Belgium of coordinating to exert pressure on Budapest.

Prime Minister Viktor Orban speaks during a news conference with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Budapest, Hungary, Feb. 16, 2026. (Alex Brandon, Pool/AP Photo)

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In the letter released Thursday, Orbán, who has a close relationship with the Kremlin, also said Ukraine had refused «to accept the position of the sovereign Hungarian government and the Hungarian people regarding the Russia–Ukraine war.» Additionally, he accused Ukraine of trying to «force Hungary» into the war with Russia.

«We, the Hungarian people, are not responsible for the situation in which Ukraine finds itself. We sympathize with the Ukrainian people, but we do not wish to participate in the war. We do not want to finance the war effort, and we do not want to pay more for energy,» Orbán wrote.

The Hungarian prime minister ended his letter with demands that Ukraine reopen the oil pipeline and «refrain from any further attacks on Hungary’s energy security,» as well as a demand for «more respect for Hungary.»

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Neither Zelenskyy’s office nor the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry immediately responded to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.

The Associated Press and Fox News Digital’s Ashley Carnahan contributed to this report.

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El presidente José Raúl Mulino defendió la estrategia del Gobierno frente al conflicto portuario y aseguró que Panamá se preparó durante meses para distintos escenarios, incluido el fallo de inconstitucionalidad que impactó la operación de terminales clave administradas por Panama Ports Company (PPC), filial del conglomerado CK Hutchison.

Durante su conferencia semanal, el mandatario abordó la situación de los puertos de Balboa y Cristóbal, el proceso de transición operativa y las tensiones diplomáticas derivadas del caso, en un contexto que calificó como decisivo para el futuro logístico del país.

Mulino sostuvo que su administración mantuvo múltiples reuniones durante el último año con directivos de PPC y CK Hutchison para evaluar el estado de las terminales y discutir alternativas ante los cuestionamientos legales y contractuales.

Según relató, en esos encuentros el Gobierno percibió una actitud que describió como distante y poco colaborativa por parte de la empresa, lo que reforzó la decisión de prepararse para escenarios adversos, incluyendo la eventualidad de una declaratoria de inconstitucionalidad por parte de la Corte Suprema de Justicia.

Antes de la toma de control de ambas terminales, voceros de la empresa PPC habían solicitado un diálogo con el Gobierno para buscar una alternativa al conflicto antes de que el fallo de la Corte se publicada en Gaceta Oficial, lo que ocurrió el pasado lunes 23 de febrero.

El mandatario subrayó que el fallo judicial obligó al Ejecutivo a actuar con rapidez para garantizar la continuidad operativa de los puertos, considerados infraestructuras críticas para el comercio exterior y la estabilidad económica.

En ese sentido, explicó que la transición se desarrolla con empresas de amplia trayectoria internacional que han asumido temporalmente la operación, con el objetivo de evitar interrupciones en el manejo de carga y proteger miles de empleos vinculados al sector marítimo y logístico.

Mulino también pidió a las entidades y equipos involucrados en la transición de Balboa y Cristóbal que trabajen durante el fin de semana “las 24 horas del día” para normalizar el flujo de carga. Según el presidente, el objetivo es acelerar el despacho de importaciones y exportaciones y “poner al día” el manejo de contenedores entre viernes y domingo —o hasta lunes—, en un esfuerzo de corto plazo para reducir atrasos operativos mientras avanza la reorganización de ambas terminales.

En el caso del puerto de Balboa, la administración temporal quedó a cargo de APM Terminals Panamá S.A., mediante un contrato por $26,100,000 destinado a la operación, mantenimiento y gestión de la terminal en el Pacífico. Por su parte, el puerto de Cristóbal será administrado por TIL Panamá S.A., filial de Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC), bajo un acuerdo por $15,800,000 para la operación de la instalación en el Atlántico.

Uno de los puntos centrales del mensaje presidencial fue la defensa del proceso de sustitución patronal, mediante el cual los trabajadores portuarios mantienen sus puestos y derechos adquiridos.

Mulino indicó que en el puerto de Cristóbal la transición supera el 98% de incorporación del personal, mientras que en Balboa el proceso supera el 70% y continúa avanzando, lo que calificó como una señal de estabilidad laboral y compromiso con la fuerza de trabajo portuaria.

El presidente también rechazó versiones sobre supuestas ofertas de empleo gestionadas por terceros en las terminales, advirtiendo que se trata de información falsa.

Insistió en que únicamente las empresas autorizadas dentro del esquema de transición están facultadas para realizar contrataciones, reiterando que la estructura laboral existente se mantendrá durante el proceso y que el Gobierno prioriza la protección del empleo y la continuidad de la actividad portuaria.

En el plano internacional, Mulino abordó las reacciones del Gobierno chino y afirmó que Panamá defenderá su soberanía jurídica y económica frente a cualquier presión externa.

El mandatario sostuvo que la relación comercial entre ambos países es relevante, pero subrayó que el movimiento de carga y energía asociado a China depende en gran medida del tránsito por el Canal de Panamá y del nodo logístico de la Zona Libre de Colón, lo que, a su juicio, demuestra la interdependencia existente.

El jefe del Ejecutivo planteó que, desde una perspectiva estratégica, China probablemente necesita la conectividad panameña tanto como Panamá valora el comercio con el gigante asiático.

Argumentó que el Canal y el ecosistema logístico nacional continúan siendo plataformas clave para la distribución regional de productos chinos, lo que refuerza el papel del país como hub comercial y marítimo en América Latina.

Mulino también destacó que el Gobierno está preparado para enfrentar el arbitraje internacional anunciado por PPC, insistiendo en que la defensa de los intereses del Estado será firme y basada en argumentos legales y contractuales.

Respecto al proceso de transición, el presidente señaló que se espera un período de aproximadamente 18 meses durante el cual el Estado supervisará la reorganización operativa y evaluará el desempeño de las nuevas empresas encargadas del manejo temporal de las terminales. Durante ese lapso, el Gobierno prevé mantener el flujo de carga y consolidar ingresos asociados a la actividad portuaria, mientras define el modelo definitivo de operación futura.

Panamá podría recibir hasta $100 millones durante el período transitorio de operación portuaria, estimado en 18 meses.

A proposed Department of Housing and Urban Development rule would crack down on illegal immigrants or unqualified people living in public housing, closing a loophole established amid major departmental reforms under President Bill Clinton in 1996.

Current HUD rules allow «mixed-status» households to use public housing under what is called the «do not contend» provision, in which a person living among a public housing family can declare they «do not contend» their HUD eligibility under their immigration status, and the family instead receives prorated housing assistance.

The HUD-ineligible family member or members may remain in public housing so long as the family accepts their diminished subsidies, according to reports.

The new HUD rule proposed this week under Secretary Scott Turner would eliminate the option for residents to say they «do not contend» and instead require every member to verify citizenship or prove eligible noncitizen status to continue receiving housing assistance.

The proposed rule would not categorically prohibit noncitizens from public housing, but those remaining would have to prove they are eligible for taxpayer-funded assistance.

While illegal immigrants would be barred, green-card holders are currently fully eligible under federal housing law.

People admitted to the U.S. under official refugee or asylee status also remain eligible, as well as individuals whose DHS order of removal is being legally withheld due to threat of personal harm in their home country.

Cuban emigres who have fled the Communist dictatorship 90 miles off Key West have also historically been considered eligible, as have certain foreign domestic violence or trafficking victims.

Turner’s proposal, however, would guarantee that all people living in HUD-funded housing are eligible under statute.

The longstanding HUD Act of 1980, which the Clinton-era reforms adjusted, already prohibits HUD from providing financial assistance to ineligible noncitizens, and Turner’s reforms would make the prorated assistance option temporary instead of indefinite, pending eligibility verification.

«Under President Trump’s leadership, the days of illegal aliens, ineligibles, and fraudsters gaming the system and riding the coattails of American taxpayers are over,» said Turner, a former Washington Redskins cornerback.

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The Department of Housing and Urban Development announced on Dec. 11 that it was opening an investigation into the city of Boston, alleging the city’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion housing practices violate federal anti-discrimination laws. (Getty Images; Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)

«HUD’s proposed rule will guarantee that all residents in HUD-funded housing are eligible tenants. We have zero tolerance for pushing aside hardworking U.S. citizens while enabling others to exploit decades-old loopholes.»

Turner previously wrote in a Washington Post op-ed that previous administrations «turned a blind eye» to enforcing these types of HUD laws and policies.

«Liberal officials at both the federal and state level purposefully blurred and weakened the law by allowing some applicants for HUD assistance to simply sign a declaration of citizenship without requiring any documentation or proof,» he said in one example.

Critics of the change, however, said HUD’s efforts are going to lead to families being booted from public housing.

«Our country can ensure that every one of us, no matter where we come from or what language we speak, has a safe home,» National Housing Law Project executive director Shamus Roller told the Associated Press.

«Trump is trying to evict immigrant families, citizen and non-citizen, from HUD housing.»

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Roller’s colleague Sonya Acosta told the wire service that the new policy would wrongly force an «agonizing choice between losing the assistance that helps [families] pay rent every month or separating their family.»

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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