Hungary against Russia sanction
Von der Leyen: Progress in the dispute over the EU oil embargo
05/10/2022, 01:25 am
The EU Commission is pushing for an oil embargo against Russia – but Hungary is still blocking it. The country is heavily dependent on Russian supplies and fears a price explosion. Commission chief von der Leyen reports progress after talks in Budapest.
In the struggle for an EU oil embargo against Russia, Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen met Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban in Budapest and then spoke of “progress”. The conversation was “helpful to clarify issues related to sanctions and energy security,” von der Leyen wrote on Twitter on Monday evening. “We’ve made progress, but more work is needed.”
Hungary is heavily dependent on Russian oil and has so far blocked a decision by the EU states on an oil embargo against Russia because of the Ukraine invasion, which would require unanimity. Hungary’s Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto also spoke of “progress” after von der Leyen’s visit. At the same time, however, he emphasized in a Facebook video with a view to possible price explosions in the event of an embargo: “We cannot make the Hungarian people pay the price for this war.”
Last week, the EU Commission proposed giving Hungary and Slovakia until the end of 2024 and the Czech Republic until mid-2024 to fully implement the oil import ban. All other countries should halt oil shipments in six months and purchases of oil products such as diesel and kerosene in eight months. However, the compromise did not go far enough for Hungary in particular.
Hungary, the Czech Republic and Slovakia are heavily dependent on Russian oil, all of which is supplied via the Druzhba (Friendship) pipeline. According to the national statistics authority, the Czech Republic covered around half of its oil consumption from Russian sources in 2021. In Hungary, according to the government, 65 percent come from Russia.