If the EU is determined to impose sanctions on Russian oil imports, it should make an exemption on pipeline transit shipments, Szijjártó said.Continue reading
“The European Commission will propose a total import ban on Russian oil,” European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced as recently as May 4. Hungary then demanded 15 to 18 billion euros (about 6,000 billion forints), which the country needed to limit the damage. However, the Socialist politician, EP Vice President Katarina Barley, believes that the other 26 member states should now introduce an oil embargo without Hungary. The only way to “get Orbán to agree to an oil embargo would be to give him a lot of money,” which Barley said would then be distributed among Orbán’s cronies. Other leaders have expressed similar views in recent days, saying that the sixth sanctions package should be adopted without Hungary.
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The European Union has so far adopted five sanctions packages against Russia. The community of states was quick to do so and implemented measures that seemed unthinkable before the war began. But this momentum was lost in May, reported deutschlandfunk.de. In response, EP Vice President Katharina Barley said in an interview that in addition to Hungary, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Bulgaria would be particularly affected by a possible oil embargo.
However, three states are trying to find solutions together with the EU. Hungary alone is using this for its political games and also to channel additional money to Hungary again.
According to Barley, a corrupt system prevails in the country and the money that should be used to replace Russian energy would flow “into the channels of Orbán’s family and clan.”
Meanwhile, the German Vice-Chancellor also said that the EU should decide on the next package of sanctions without Hungary.
Germany would be ready to support a European Union embargo on Russian oil without Hungary,”
German Vice-Chancellor and Economy Minister Robert Habeck said in an interview on Monday. The Green politician said in an interview with Deutschlandfunk radio that he was disappointed by the delay in the Russian oil embargo. He pointed out that the negotiations and talks are being conducted by the European Commission.
It is known that the EU intends to ban the purchase of Russian oil among member states within six months and the purchase of refined oil products at the beginning of January next year. At the same time, Hungary and Slovakia were given a deadline until the end of 2024, as they are heavily dependent on Russian oil. However, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has already made it clear that the government does not support the plans, as it is a “nuclear bomb to be dropped on the Hungarian economy.”
Sources: Index, Deutschlandfunk
Featured image via Hayoung Jeon/MTI/EPA
