Orban, Orban: EU's plan to ban Russian imports of energy must be stopped

Viktor Orban, the Hungarian prime minister, told state radio that the European Union's plan of banning Russian energy imports should be stopped "by any means". EU executive announced earlier this month that the European Commission would propose next month legal measures to phase-out the EU's imports for all Russian gas, including liquefied gas, by the end 2027. The proposed ban has been opposed by Slovakia and Hungary who rely on Russian gas and oil supplies.

We must stop the Ukrainians from trying to ban Russian gas in Europe. We must stop it at all costs. Orban stated that a pipeline is useless if it cannot be used to transport gas. Orban said that if the EU compensated Hungary the costs of the energy embargo, the government would "be open to negotiations" about the issue. Slovakia and Hungary still receive Russian oil and gas, and they have argued over Ukraine's decision to stop gas flow from the east to its territory at the end of 2024.

Due to the opposition of Slovakia and Hungary who maintain close ties with Moscow, the EU has imposed sanctions against most Russian oil imports.

The proposal of the Commission only needs a qualified majority to be passed by the European Parliament, which means that it cannot be blocked by the two central European countries, although their objections may complicate the process. Hungary imports the majority of its natural gas through the Turkstream pipeline that runs from the Black Sea into Turkey, and then on to Southeast Europe. The volume of gas flowing through TurkStream’s European section increased by 16% on an annual basis to 4.5 billion cubic meters in the first quarter this year. This was due to higher demand from Hungary and Slovakia.

(source: Reuters)