Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orban urged the European Union to persuade Ukraine to resume Russian gas transit to Europe, complicating discussions on renewing sanctions against Russia.
BUDAPEST, Jan 24 (Reuters) – Hungary has called on the European Union to encourage Ukraine to restart Russian gas transit to Europe, according to Prime Minister Viktor Orban on Friday. This appeal raises the stakes for an intense discussion as the EU plans to renew its sanctions against Russia in the coming week.
Hungary has yet to determine whether it will back the renewal of these sanctions, set to lapse at the end of the month. EU sanctions, which require a unanimous vote from all 27 member states, are typically extended in six-month cycles.
Orban, whose administration has maintained closer ties with Moscow than many other EU nations, reiterated his stance against the sanctions on Friday. He claimed they have caused Hungary financial harm amounting to 19 billion euros ($19.9 billion), although he did not elaborate on how this figure was calculated.
“The issue of renewing sanctions is currently on the table. I have applied the brakes and requested EU leaders to recognize that this situation cannot persist,” Orban said during a state radio interview.
“It’s unfair for us to bear the costs of aiding Ukraine only for them to create difficulties for us,” he added, referring to Ukraine’s recent suspension of Russian gas flows through the Druzhba pipeline.
“We are asking for Ukraine to be persuaded to resume gas transit,” Orban said. He also called for assurances that Ukraine would not disrupt the flow of Russian crude oil.
EU foreign ministers are scheduled to convene on Monday to deliberate on extending the sanctions. Hungary’s foreign minister has anticipated a heated debate, noting that the government plans to consult with its U.S. partners in the coming days.
In December 2023, Orban delayed EU financial assistance to Ukraine for weeks.
While Western European nations have reduced their dependence on Russian energy, Hungary remains heavily reliant. As a landlocked country, it sources around 80% of its natural gas and the majority of its crude oil from Russia. Hungary’s gas imports arrive via the TurkStream pipeline through Serbia, and no gas was imported from Ukraine last year.
The EU has frozen billions of euros in funds intended for Hungary, citing concerns about the erosion of democratic oversight under Orban’s leadership.
