EU sanctions against Russia: that’s why Hungary has withdrawn its veto
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Hungary’s government decided against vetoing the renewal of European Union sanctions against Russia after receiving energy security guaranties, Péter Szijjártó, the minister of foreign affairs and trade, said in Brussels on Monday.
A decision had to be made on Monday on extending the sanctions against Russia, which have cost Hungary 19 billion euros in losses over the last three years, Szijjártó told a press conference after a meeting of the Foreign Affairs Council.
At the same time, he said, Ukraine had introduced several measures that had jeopardised the energy supplies of Hungary and other central European countries, adding that this was a matter of national security and sovereignty.
A ministry statement quoted Szijjártó as saying that Hungary therefore set clear conditions for the European Commission in recent days, calling on it to protect Hungary against measures that risked undermining its energy security, to protect the TurkStream gas pipeline, Ukrainian oil transit to Europe, and convince Ukraine to restart gas deliveries, the minister said.
“After lengthy negotiations … today the European Commission gave Hungary these guarantees that are essential for the future of our energy security,” Szijjártó said. “The European Commission conceded that the integrity of the energy infrastructure ensuring the supply of EU member states is a matter that concerns the security of the EU as a whole.”
The commission also “declared that it expects third countries such as Ukraine to respect this, and it has made it clear that it is prepared to introduce measures aimed at protecting oil and gas pipelines and power transmission lines connecting the EU and third countries,” Szijjártó said.
He welcomed the commission’s decision to enter into talks with Ukraine on gas deliveries and that it had asked Kyiv for guarantees on maintaining oil transit shipments.
“So we’ve achieved enormous success today in terms of Hungary’s energy supply,”
Why does Brussels meet Zelensky’s demands. Zelensky represents a non-member state.
It’s a Fidesz lie that Hungary can only meet its’ energy needs by buying Russian gas. Ukraine has offered to send Azeri gas through its’ pipeline to Hungary but Orban refuses to buy it. It also refuses to take more gas through the Croatina pipeline. The reality is that Fidesz can only meet its’ kickback needs by buying Russian gas.
19 billion euros lost at the altar of the globalist-socialist-fascist agenda. Those who are causing the continuation of this pointless, senseless war–despite Putin’s repeated invitations to negotiate a settlement–should be tried for treason.
What I really don´t get from our “Sovereignty!” loving Politicians is their actions, which imply they somehow think Ukraine, which has decided not to renegotiate or renew an expiring gas transit deal, should do what is best for Hungary? So that Hungary doesn´t try to blackmail them with a veto of what would ordinarily be unanimous European Union decisions?
Also – consider Mr. Trump has been talking up sanctions and tariffs. No mention of cost. Let´s see how our Politicians deal with that one. Could be interesting if the US-Denmark-Greenland situation blows up – and the EU may be forced to retaliate as a bloc.