updates
700 million cubic meters more
Hungary buys additional gas from Russia
7/21/2022 3:23 p.m
Unlike oil, there are no common EU sanctions on Russian gas. Hungary has therefore announced that it intends to buy additional capacities in Russia. It is about the security of Hungary’s energy supply, it is said in justification.
Despite the EU’s quest for independence from Russian energy, Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto has pleaded for more gas during a surprise visit to Moscow. In addition to the amounts already agreed, his country wants to buy 700 million cubic meters of Russian gas this year, he said in Moscow. It is about Hungary’s energy security. His Russian colleague Sergei Lavrov said: “This request will be reported and examined immediately.”
Since the start of the war against Ukraine, Russia has already completely cut off gas supplies to several “unfriendly” European countries – including Poland and Bulgaria – because they refused to pay for the supplies in rubles, as demanded by Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin. The delivery quantities to Germany – and to other countries – have been significantly reduced. Moscow justified the step with a missing turbine for the Baltic Sea pipeline Nord Stream 1, which was meanwhile stuck in Canada due to sanctions. Berlin considers this representation to be a pretext.
No embargo on Russian gas
In reaction to the Russian war of aggression in Ukraine, the EU imposed drastic sanctions on Moscow. These include a far-reaching embargo on Russian oil. But there is no such measure for gas.
However, the member state Hungary is accused of partially torpedoing Brussels’ Russia policy and at the same time continuing to seek closeness to Russia. Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orban recently – to the displeasure of Brussels – criticized the jointly agreed sanctions as harmful to Europe.
Lavrov told his Hungarian colleague that he wanted to explain the situation in Ukraine from a Russian point of view. Szijjarto stressed that everything must be done to end the conflict. In Ukraine, Hungary’s proximity to Russia has repeatedly caused criticism.