Orbán wants to prevent the EU’s plans to ban Russian energy imports – Reuters

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said on state radio that the European Union’s plan to ban imports of Russian energy should be prevented “by all means”. This was reported by Reuters, UNN writes.

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We must try to stop Ukraine’s desire to completely ban the import of Russian gas to Europe. We must prevent this by all means. Because it makes no sense to have a pipeline if we are not allowed to transport gas through it.

The European Commission will next month propose legal measures to phase out imports of all Russian gas and liquefied natural gas to the EU by the end of 2027, the EU executive said earlier in May. Member states Slovakia and Hungary, which rely on Russian oil and gas supplies, have opposed the proposed ban.

Orban said that if the EU compensates Hungary for the cost of the energy ban, the government will be “open to negotiations” on the issue. Slovakia and Hungary continue to receive Russian gas and oil and are arguing with Ukraine over its decision to stop gas supplies from the east through its territory from the end of 2024.

The EU has imposed sanctions on most imports of Russian oil, but not gas, due to opposition from Slovakia and Hungary, which maintain closer ties with Moscow.

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The Commission’s proposal only requires a qualified majority in the European Parliament to pass, meaning that Slovakia and Hungary will not be able to block it. However, their objections could complicate the process.

Hungary imports most of its gas through the Turkish Stream pipeline, which runs under the Black Sea to Turkey and on to Southeast Europe. In the first quarter of this year, volumes through the European section of the Turkish Stream increased by 16% year-on-year to approximately 4.5 billion cubic meters, driven by higher demand in Hungary and Slovakia.

Addition26 Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) called on Brussels to freeze all funding earmarked for Hungary, accusing the country of further restricting freedoms and undermining democracy, and failing to comply with EU laws and values.