Hungary wants the European Union to persuade Ukraine to resume the transit of Russian gas to Europe, Prime Minister Viktor Orban said on Friday, suggesting a difficult debate while the EU seeks to extend its sanctions against the Russia during the coming week.
Hungary has not yet decided if it will support the renewal of the sanctions scheduled for the end of the month. The European Union renews its sanctions every six months, unanimously of its 27 Member States.
Mr. Orban, whose government has closer economic and political relations with Moscow than other EU countries, reiterated its criticisms of sanctions on Friday, affirming that they had caused financial damage of 19 Billion euros ($ 19.9 billion) in Hungary. He did not specify how this figure had been calculated.
“The question of the renewal of sanctions is now on the agenda and I fired on the brake by asking the EU leaders to understand that this can no longer last,” said Orban on the radio state.
“It is not good that we pay the price of the aid provided to Ukraine […] And let them cause us problems, “he added, referring to the recent decision of Ukraine to interrupt the Russian gas flows to Europe through the Druzhba pipeline.
“We ask them to convince Ukraine to resume the transit of gas,” said Mr. Orban, adding that Budapest also wanted to obtain guarantees that Ukraine would not interrupt imports of Russian crude.
-EU’s foreign ministers will meet on Monday to decide to renew the sanctions and the Hungarian Foreign Affairs Minister suggested a great debate, saying that Hungary would also consult its American partners in the coming days.
In December 2023, Mr. Orban blocked for weeks the help of the European Union in Ukraine.
While western European countries have progressed in their weaning Russian energy, Hungary, landlocked countries, receives around 80 % of its gas and most of its crude oil from Russia. Russian gas intended for Hungary is transported by the Turkstream gas pipeline via Serbia and the country did not import gas via Ukraine last year.
The European Union has suspended billions of euros in funds intended for Budapest, as it fears that Mr. Orban will affect democratic balances.
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