Breaking – Hungarian veto killed EU rebuff on Putin’s demand about gas payments in rubles
The European Union wanted to accept a joint statement rejecting Putin’s latest blackmail to pay for Russian energy in rubles. However, the Hungarian government vetoed it. The leaked explanation is incomprehensible, the Hungarian media outlet says.
According to Azonnali, EU leaders held an unofficial consultation in Brussels last Thursday. They called together the crisis summit because Russian President Putin had announced that from the 1st of April the country would accept gas payments only in rubles from unfriendly states. Gazprom added that they would stop sending gas to states refusing to do so, even if that means ending gas transportation to EU member countries.
EU members would have refused Putin’s blackmailing in a joint statement. However, the Orbán cabinet killed the motion with a surreal explanation – the Hungarian opposition-close media outlet wrote today.
Regarding the information, Azonnali referred to two tweets shared independently yet almost simultaneously. No official statement has been published about the unofficial summit yet.
Nick Gutteridge, a Brussels correspondent of The Sun, wrote that Hungarians killed the joint EU refusal. The Orbán administration argued
it was a matter of private firms, and the EU should not get involved.
Joe Barnes, the Brussels correspondent of the Telegraph tweeted about the negotiations, too. He referred to an EU diplomat who said that
what happened was ‘Classic Orban, playing for team Putin.’
Népszava said that EU members made it clear earlier that they do not support paying for Russian gas in rubles. French President Emmanuel Macron said on 25th March that such demands harm Russia’s gas shipment contracts. Germany said the same. Economy minister Robert Habeck added that he would not let Russia blackmail his country. However, he added Berlin would prepare for every scenario. Olaf Scholz cleared later that they checked the contracts and they would pay for Russian gas in USD and EUR.
The German government announced yesterday that they received guarantees that Europe would be able to pay for Russian gas in EUR in the future. They would pay for the Gazprombank, which would convert foreign currency to rubles.
Read alsoPaper distributed in the Bucharest National Theatre: East Hungary belongs to Romania!
Source: Azonnali, Népszava, Forbes, Portfólió
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18 Comments
This is all symbolism by the EU and another mindless attack on Hungary.
There is no problem as the last paragraph shows that Gazprombank will be paid in Euro and then convert to Rubles for Russia.
This was always going to happen regardless if the EU sends a letter or not.
@erik – help me, here.
According to en.kremlin.hu – we have a deal until 2036 where we pay significantly less than the market price for gas.
Is buying under the market price somehow normal commercial practice between “private parties”? Or are there certain other expectations?
Hey Erik… if it’s only symbolism then why shouldn’t Hungary symbolically support peace? Rather they actually support war and the day will come… no country is an island and when the waves begin to wash over Hungary they will cry for Europe to support them again. Whimper alone you who always stand on the wrong side of history .
@Janos,
Well the Hungary government has been talking about peace and had proposed to have negotiations in the country. Although negotiations/diplomatic talks are in Istabnul.
For Hungary maybe being invaded in the future. I really doubt any country is stupid enough to invade a NATO country.
Hungary made a deal with Russia and the Russian gas company kept its deal. Hungarian households were heated and there was no interruption of gas supply for the kitchen. Hungary, a sovereign nation, has the right to make the best deal for its citizens.
Germany and France made their deal with Russian gas companies. If they have problems, they should solve them with the Oil and Gas Companies.
Leave Hungary out of your scabbles.
Hungary talks peace but condones war. Buying gas from Russia Hungary heats with Ukrainian blood… a vote for Putin on Sunday… whoops for Fidez will keep the blood flowing.
Janos, blame Zelensky, Biden an Putin for Ukrainian flow of blood. Russia has markets for its oil and gas in India and China. Hungarian government’s only duty is to keep Hungarian people safe and increase their well being.
Zelensky is Biden’s puppet and is fighting a war on behalf of the US. The American Military Industrial Complex is profiting. Anyone that blames Hungary is extremely naive.
For a few years now, I am convinced that there is a Trojan Horse in the courtyard of the EU, and by “Troy”, I’m thinking BOTH Russia and China.
There is another saying that goes, “Beware of Greeks bearing gifts”, and with that in mind, I’m thinking of the significantly bellow the market price that HU is paying for its gas from Russia. What does Russia get in return? The answer is staring me in the face.
Zelensky should have kept his country out of war. He is responsible for the destruction of the cities and the dead citizens. In 1956 Hungarian blood was flowing, nobody cared. Finally, the Hungarian government’s only and main responsibility is to protect its people and to well being of the citizens.
Once again, Hungary picks the wrong side in war. We’re not getting any of Ukraine back! Let’s get over it already.
Even our Polish brothers and sisters now know how selfish we really are.
The Trojan horse idea is very true. What was the price for this?
Much of the world is on the side of Ukraine and Mr Zelensky. The views held by some are fortunately in a minority. Most likely agreeing with Russian propaganda and believing the Ukrainians are bombing themselves. Finland, Georgia, Moldova have now asked to join NATO…….
Yes, the PM has protected our gas but at what price, we have no freedom, we’re indebted to Russia. I imagine the PM wasn’t always like this but money, greed, power and corruption has found its way into Fidesz.
Mr Zelensky is protecting his country and doing a damn good job. Even the other V4 members are questioning our PM’s motives and/or loyalties. It’s beginning to look very bad to the rest of the world. It’s not about being neutral, it’s about choosing which side of the fence you’re on…….
@mariavontheresa
You remind me of a friend who abandoned Hungary for the USA. Now all he can do is complain about the USA and praise Hungary. Yet he never returns to Hungary and is very comfortable in USA. Is it you Tibi?
Get real everyone. Hungary has not declared war on Russia. Hungary has not declared war on Ukraine. Why do outsider wish to involve Hungary in this melee? Hungary supported sanctions on Russia and accepts and looks after Ukrainian refugees. Hungary does not support Russia’s invasions but wants to stay neutral for once.
Russia will retaliate against countries openly supporting Ukraine, there is no reason why Hungarian people should be placed in jeopardy.
We blame leaders of a country for bad decisions, why is everyone excusing Zelensky? He is ultimately responsible for the war by baiting Russia.
@mariavontheresa (2/4/2022 at 06:44), it seems to me that you’re inferring that Zelensky could have stopped Putin’s army from invading his sovereign country. if so, then you are implying that he should have capitulated to all of Putin’s demands and surrender a sovereign and free Ukraine.
I’d like to “re-write” what I think you’re inferring and say, back in 1956 Imre Nagy should have kept Budapest from being invaded by Russian tanks. To me, that is akin to what you are inferring.
Incidentally, why do I get the feeling that you are in Ottawa Canada (don’t want to be more precise – publicly).
– Nothing personal.
Ps. Let’s get real, Orbán IS FiDESZ!
PM Orbán is trying to sit on two chairs, one being the EU (with all the € hand-outs), but is also biting the hand that feeds it. The other “chair” being Russia (supplying Hungary with bellow-cost gas and oil). Oh how the mighty fall (between the two “chairs”).
Pps. My maternal grandfather nearly died of a broken heart when the 1956 revolution ended without success.
@mariavontheresa
You wake up and get real. Of course Hungary hasn’t declared war on Russia. Who’s saying it is. You’re promoting fake news. What, a country of less than ten million wants to pick a fight with Russia!? Hungary’s not going to bite the hand that feeds it is it. If Russia retaliates against other countries then that means declaring war on NATO, which means declaring war on Hungary too. We’re a member of the EU and a member of NATO in case you’ve forgotten.
Mr Zelensky wanted to protect his borders, Georgia, Finland and Moldova are worried what could happen to them. This is not just about Hungary.
Do you believe like the Russian propaganda that it’s a special military operation too? Have you seen the pictures and reports. Have you seen pictures of dogs eating human flesh as there’s no one to bury the people and the dogs are starving. Or do you watch the versions that claims it’s all down to Ukraine doing their own bombings. Yeah, thought so……..
A thumbs up to Anonymous (03/04/2022 at 10:41).
If I were a military strategist, then my concern for Moldova would be on top of my list, but not “tomorrow”, not next month, not even next year, perhaps in the near future. It took Putin 8 years to act after his annexation of Crimea.
The other countries, that I’d be concerned for are, 2. Estonia, 3. Finland and 4. Latvia, in that order.
One just needs to look at a map, and the reasons are obvious. Having said that, Estonia and Latvia are members of NATO, so that could be a deterrent, but who knows how much Putin would risk.
(Our) talk is cheap and easy, but my heart bleeds for the innocent people of Ukraine.
@mariavontheresa
“Zelensky is Biden’s puppet and is fighting a war on behalf of the US”
You mean the same guy who accused the US of fear-mongering when the US was sounding the alarm bells of an invasion eight weeks ago? If you genuinely believe Zelensky is somehow Biden’s puppet, then you clearly have had your head buried in the sand for the past three months.
Furthermore, suggesting any sane Westerner wants a war against Russia is simply asinine. The US and EU tolerated Putin’s aggression for decades in the hope we could just ignore the issue until it went away. Putin took advantage of this, and oh boy has it backfired.
If Hungary sympathizes with Putin, then fine. It’s their right. But don’t come crying to us if you find yourself booted out of the EU and NATO.
Call me CONSERNED!
All of you sound like you care about humanity, which is admirable. However, all of you ignore one thing. History didn’t start TODAY or 2-3 months ago but your arguments, as good as they may be from YOUR point of view, may be totally out of date. We all know the principle “For every action, there is a reaction” and we should keep that in mind, especially when we are talking about HISTORY. Today’s struggles didn’t start with Russia attaching Ukrain, that action has a long history behind it. It all depends on how far you want to go back. It is similar to the Jewish & Palestinian conflict. Everything depends on how far you want to go back in history to find out that maybe NOBODY is RIGHT. But both sides think they are! And people’s memory can play a cruel joke on them that may cause the loss of many innocent lives today of what happened maybe too many generations ago. But they fight even today, because hand me down revenge is being kept alive and well, for real reasons long forgotten. It would be so much better to sit down to discuss the possibility of peace and to forgive and forget. But we have progressed to an age, where RAGE is being lobbyed, to make a profit. Hence the everpresent FAKE NEWS, otherwise known as PROPAGANDA allplied by all sides to confuse the uninitiated and devide to conquer. Thinking independently and gathering information from as many sources as possible is the only way to sort the thruth out, and you MUST RESEARCH the history of any conflict to get near the THRUTH.