Hungary will not cooperate in a European boycott of Russian oil and gas. Gergely Gulyás, a high-ranking minister of Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, said this on Sunday on the Hungarian channel HirTV, reports financial news agency Bloomberg. Should EU sanctions against Russia be extended to Russian energy, as Bloomberg reported on SaturdayHungary will use its veto power.
According to Bloomberg, the EU wants to phase out Russian oil imports step by step this year. But Hungary “will never support such a plan,” Gulyás said. “Since such decisions require unanimity, it makes no sense for the European Commission to propose sanctions for natural gas and crude oil that would limit Hungarian purchases.”
Also read: Paying rubles for Russian gas is banned, European Commission warns
Budapest has agreed with Russia to pay for gas in rubles from now on, undermining the country’s European sanctions policy. Hungary achieves 85 percent of its gas and 65 percent of its oil from Russia, Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó told CNN last week. Last week, Russia cut gas supplies to Poland and Bulgaria because both countries refused to pay in rubles.
This article is also part of our live blog: Hungary to end EU boycott on Russian energy