Ukrainians’ attitudes toward Hungary in March 2026 retain a clearly negative character, although the dynamics of recent months indicate a slight improvement in certain indicators. According to the results of a study conducted in March 2026 by the research company Active Group in cooperation with the information and analytical center Experts Club, the share of positive assessments increased to 18.6%, compared to 16.0% in August 2025, while the level of negative attitudes slightly decreased—from 55.7% to 52.2%.
Despite this dynamic, the overall structure of responses demonstrates the dominance of negative evaluations. The largest share consists of respondents who assess their attitude toward Hungary as “mostly negative” — 34.3%, while another 17.9% chose “completely negative.” Thus, the total level of negative perception exceeds half of all responses.
Positive assessments remain significantly lower: only 4.9% of respondents chose the option “completely positive,” and 13.8% selected “mostly positive.” At the same time, 27.3% of Ukrainians hold a neutral position, indicating the presence of an audience segment that does not have a formed or clearly expressed attitude toward this country. Another 1.9% of respondents were unable to provide an answer.
A comparison with August 2025 shows that the changes are evolutionary rather than radical in nature. The increase in positive assessments and the decrease in negative ones are relatively minor, indicating the persistence of a formed negative image of Hungary in Ukrainian society. At the same time, the trend toward improvement may indicate a gradual softening of perceptions or the influence of certain factors that are changing the information background.
An important feature is that even with some growth in positive sentiment, Hungary remains one of the few countries where negative assessments significantly outweigh positive ones. This distinguishes it from most other states in the region, where the balance is either positive or at least close to neutral.
At the same time, the presence of a significant share of neutral responses—more than a quarter of respondents—indicates potential for a shift in public opinion. A portion of Ukrainians does not have a clearly formed attitude, which creates opportunities for improving the country’s image through more active communication, economic cooperation, and public diplomacy.
“We conducted the survey at the beginning of March, and it is already evident that the political context surrounding certain countries can quickly influence evaluations. In the case of Hungary, this factor remains decisive in shaping negative perception. At the same time, even a slight increase in positive sentiment shows that these assessments are not entirely static,” said Oleksandr Pozniy, Director of the research company Active Group.
Thus, the results of the study demonstrate that Hungary is currently perceived by Ukrainians as a country with a predominantly negative image that has a systemic nature. Despite minor positive shifts, the balance of evaluations remains significantly tilted toward critical perception, which defines the specifics of public opinion regarding this state.
According to a study conducted by the Experts Club information and analytical center based on data from the State Customs Service, Hungary ranks ninth in terms of total trade in goods with Ukraine, with a figure of $3.30 billion. Imports of Hungarian goods exceed Ukrainian exports, creating a negative balance for Ukraine.
The study was presented at the Interfax-Ukraine press center; the video can be viewed on the agency’s YouTube channel. The full version of the study can be found via a link on the Experts Club analytical center’s website.
ACTIVE GROUP, EXPERTS CLUB, HUNGARY, Pozniy, SOCIOLOGY, SURVEY, UKRAINE, URAKIN
Hungary has decided to strengthen security around its section of the TurkStream gas pipeline and place it under military control following an incident on Serbian territory, according to the Telegram channel “Serbian Economist”.
According to the report, the decision was made after an emergency meeting of the defence council convened by Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán. Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó said the military would guard the entire Hungarian section of the pipeline — from the border with Serbia to the border with Slovakia.
The move followed an incident in Serbia, where, according to Serbian and Hungarian authorities, powerful explosive devices were found near gas infrastructure through which Russian gas is delivered to Hungary and further into the region.
At the same time, the episode has already triggered political debate. Some publications and commentary in the region question the official version of events and suggest the story may have a political dimension, particularly against the backdrop of the election campaign in Hungary.
Ukraine, for its part, has officially rejected any attempts to link it to the incident in Serbia.
According to Serbian Economist, the Hungarian government has designated the “Hungary–Serbia” oil pipeline and related infrastructure as a priority investment project, which is expected to speed up administrative procedures and construction work. Budapest views the project as part of a broader strategy to better coordinate the energy and fuel markets of Hungary, Serbia, and Slovakia. The Hungarian side believes this will enhance the resilience of regional energy supplies and reduce dependence on external risks.
Hungarian media reports state that the government’s goal is to bring the system into full operation in 2027 or 2028. The new route is intended to create an additional foundation for oil supplies to the region amid the continued vulnerability of existing supply lines.
The issue is particularly sensitive for the region following supply problems with the Druzhba pipeline, a section of which on Ukrainian territory was damaged in January. Against this backdrop, Budapest has in recent weeks linked energy security issues to broader regional policy.
For Serbia, accelerating the project is important both in terms of diversifying supply routes and in the context of ongoing uncertainty surrounding NIS and oil imports. The new pipeline could become one of the country’s key energy infrastructure projects.
https://t.me/relocationrs/2509
According to Serbian Economist, Romania has prepared a strategic study on the creation of a 781.9-km railway corridor from Constanța to the Hungarian border, which will combine modernized sections with speeds of 160–200 km/h and new double-track sections designed for speeds of up to 250 km/h. This is reported by Romanian business publications.
According to the study, the most suitable route is the Constanta–Bucharest–Brasov–Sighisoara–Târgu Mureș–Cluj-Napoca–Zaleu–Oradea–Hungarian border corridor. The project is estimated at €14.93 billion, with an average investment cost of approximately €19 million per kilometer.
The first phase involves the construction of a new double-track line between Bucharest and Cimpina with a design speed of 250 km/h, while the Cimpina–Brasov section is proposed to be upgraded to 200 km/h. The second phase covers the new Brasov–Cluj-Napoca line via Targu Mures, the third—Cluj-Napoca–Oradea via Zalau, and both of these new lines are also designed for 250 km/h. The fourth phase includes upgrading the Bucharest–Fetești section to 200 km/h and constructing a new double-track section between Fetești and Constanța for speeds of 250 km/h.
The document examines the technical, investment, operational, and institutional parameters of the project and recommends phased financing after 2027 through European funds, the state budget, and, potentially, public-private partnership mechanisms.
https://t.me/relocationrs/2476
According to Serbian Economist, Hungary and Serbia have agreed to launch passenger service on the Belgrade-Budapest high-speed railway line no later than March 27, Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó said in Belgrade.
Responding to questions about border procedures, including the introduction of the EES system, Szijjártó said that checks are planned to be kept to a minimum and organized so that they do not significantly affect the speed of transport. According to him, on the Hungarian side, inspectors, police, and customs officers will board the train before the border station, and checks will be carried out jointly with colleagues from the other side while the train is in motion.
The statement was made after the ceremonial signing of four documents during the 15th session of the Joint Commission on Economic Cooperation between Serbia and Hungary in the Serbian Chamber. In particular, the parties formalized a package of agreements on expanding cooperation in the nuclear sphere, interaction between chambers of commerce and industry under the Széchenyi program in Serbia, a memorandum on expert support for Serbia’s EU accession negotiations, and the minutes of the joint commission meeting.
Earlier, Serbian authorities reported that joint passport and customs control for passenger trains is planned to be carried out on Hungarian territory at the Kelebia station, and the time required for the procedures is estimated at about 30 minutes; the issue of specific EES requirements falls within the competence of the Hungarian border police.
The Belgrade-Budapest high-speed line is being modernized for speeds of up to 200 km/h and a reduction in travel time to less than three hours; in Serbia, the Belgrade-Novi Sad (2022) and Novi Sad-Subotica (October 2025) sections have already been put into operation. On February 27, it was also reported that freight traffic had started on the line.
Hungary has decided to block the allocation of a EUR90 billion EU loan to Ukraine until oil transit to Hungary via the Druzhba pipeline is resumed, Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó said.
On Friday evening, he again accused Ukraine on social media of allegedly blackmailing Hungary by stopping oil transit in coordination with Brussels and the Hungarian opposition in order to create supply disruptions in Hungary and raise fuel prices ahead of the elections.
According to Szijjártó, Ukraine is violating the Association Agreement with the EU.
As reported with reference to Ukrtransnafta, as a result of a targeted Russian attack on January 27, significant damage was caused to the technological and auxiliary equipment of the Druzhba oil pipeline.
“Currently, work is underway at various stages to detect defects, stabilize the technical condition of the system, and eliminate the consequences of the hostile attack. Emergency repair work is being carried out with the involvement of specialized technical units and specialized equipment,” the company said in an official comment to Interfax-Ukraine on February 19.
Hungary and Slovakia stopped supplying diesel fuel to Ukraine on February 18 until the transit of Russian oil through the Druzhba pipeline is restored.
The European Commission, in turn, convened a meeting of the oil coordination group on February 25 in connection with the suspension of supplies to Hungary and Slovakia due to Russia’s damage to the Druzhba oil pipeline.
