PanamaTimes

Saturday, Sep 07, 2024

EU's Russia oil ban in jeopardy as Hungary rejects sanction as 'atomic bomb' for economy

EU's Russia oil ban in jeopardy as Hungary rejects sanction as 'atomic bomb' for economy

Viktor Orban could veto the bloc's planned oil embargo unless the EU comes back with proposals which recognise Hungary's difficulties, which include an energy infrastructure pointing almost squarely towards Moscow.

Hungary has warned it cannot accept the EU's planned ban on Russian oil as it would amount to an "atomic bomb" for its economy, threatening to scupper the bloc's sixth sanctions package against Moscow.

Prime Minister Viktor Orban - no stranger to disputes with the bloc's executive - told state radio he was ready to negotiate on any proposal that would meet Hungary's interests.

But he declared that what was on the table would prove too costly.

The country sources almost 65% of its oil supplies, including refined products, from Russia.

Ursula von der Leyen, the European Commission president, used a speech to the European Parliament in Strasbourg on Wednesday to declare that the time had come for the bloc to ban Russian oil supplies within six months and refined products by the end of the year.

She said then: "It will not be easy. Some member states are strongly dependent on Russian oil. But we simply have to work on it.

"Putin must pay a price, a high price, for his brutal aggression."

The proposal, part of a new round of measures aimed at punishing Russia for its invasion of Ukraine, follows a similar move announced by Britain and the United States in March.

Hungary and Slovakia, under the embargo plan, have been given an extra year to make alternative arrangements.

The Reuters news agency, citing three EU sources, reported on Friday that further concessions under discussion to win nation states over would include giving Hungary, Slovakia and the Czech Republic more time to adapt to the embargo, and help with upgrading their own oil infrastructure.

Hungary's opposition poses a threat to the embargo as it requires the support of all 27 member states to be approved.

It was only made possible after Germany, Europe's biggest economy, declared that it was now in a position to source the supplies it needed from elsewhere.

In his radio interview Mr Orban, who was re-elected for a fourth term last month and is widely seen as a Putin ally, voiced concern about the EU's backlash against Russia's actions.

Viktor Orban is seen after casting his vote in Hungary's elections last month


He reiterated that Hungary would not send weapons to Ukraine, like some other member states, insisting his country's stance was "for peace".

On the specific energy issue, he argued that Hungary would need five years and make huge investments in its refineries and pipelines to be able to adjust to any Russian oil ban.

"We know exactly what we need, first of all we need five years for this whole process to be completed... one to one-and-a-half years is not enough for anything," Mr Orban said.

He said Hungary was waiting to see a new proposal from the commission.

"I don't want to confront the EU but to cooperate... but this is only possible if they take our interests into account."

Mr Orban also said Hungary would not support the blacklisting of the head of the Kremlin-allied Russian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Kirill, as this was an "issue of religious freedom".

Newsletter

Related Articles

PanamaTimes
0:00
0:00
Close
BRAZIL’S SUPREME COURT MINISTER ORDERS EXPLANATION ON X BLOCKING
Porn streamer OnlyFans paid owner $630mn in dividends
Donald Trump will not face sentencing over his 'hush money' conviction before the US presidential election on November 5, after a Manhattan judge granted his request to delay the proceeding
Return of Brazilian Artworks to Bahia
France Pilots Mobile Phone Ban in Schools
WHO-Led Study Finds No Link Between Mobile Phones and Brain Cancer
Kamala Harris is in Detroit and has a new accent again
EU Rejects Maduro’s Election Win Claim in Venezuela
Former Red Brigades Member Arrested in Argentina After 40 Years on Run
Elon Musk Accuses Brazilian Supreme Court Justice of Election Interference
Universe May Have Had a Pre-Big Bang 'Secret Life'
Ecuador's Narco Violence Threatens Scientists and Conservation Efforts
Brazilian Judge Alexandre de Moraes Blocks Elon Musk's X
Nаkеd American woman gropes security
Tsimane Tribe: Secrets to Health and Slow Ageing
OpenAI Blocks Iranian Group's ChatGPT Accounts for Election Interference
WHO Declares Mpox Global Health Emergency Again
Decline in World Records at Paris Olympics: An Analysis
EU Pressures Elon Musk Over Trump Interview
UN Reports Lowest Global Youth Unemployment Rate in 15 Years
Fatal Plane Crash Near Sao Paulo
Snoop Dogg: The Feel-Good Spirit of the Paris Olympics
McDonald's Worker Sets Restaurant On Fire Over Customer Frustration
Kamala Harris Confirmed as Democratic Candidate for US Presidential Election
Controversies at the Paris Olympics
Elon Musk Accepts Fight Challenge from Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro
First Case of 'Virgin Birth' in Endangered Shark Species in Italy
G20 Fails to Reach Agreement on Global Billionaire Tax
Mexican Drug Lords El Mayo and El Chapo's Son Arrested in Texas
World's Hottest Day Recorded on July 21
Joe Biden Withdraws from 2024 US Presidential Race
A Week of Turmoil: Key Moments in US Politics
Global IT Outage Sparks Major Concerns
Global IT Outage Unveils Digital Vulnerabilities
Secret Service Criticized for Lack of Sniper Protection During Trump Shooting
Colombian Court Annuls Amazon Tribes’ Carbon Credit Deal
Sunita Williams Safe on ISS, to Address Earth on July 10
Biden Affirms Commitment To Presidential Race
Boeing Pleads Guilty Over 737 MAX Crashes
Beryl Storm Hits Texas, Killing 2 and Causing Major Power Outages
2024 Predicted to Be World's Hottest Year
Macron Faces New Political Challenges Despite Election Relief
Florida Man Arrested Over Attempt to Withdraw One Cent
Anger mounts at Biden’s top team after disastrous debate
Bolivian President Luis Arce Denies 'Self-Coup' Allegations
Steve Bannon Begins 4-Month Prison Sentence
Biden Warns of 'Dangerous Precedent' After Supreme Court Immunity Ruling in Trump Case
Elon Musk Accuses Kamala Harris of Misleading Post on Trump's Abortion Stance
Hunter Biden Sues Fox News Over 'Revenge Porn' Allegations
New York Times Editorial Board Urges Biden to Exit Presidential Race
×