Orbán to oppose EU sanctions on Russian energy at EU emergency summit

Prime Minister Viktor Orbán is travelling to France on Thursday to attend an emergency summit of European Union leaders in Versailles on the war in Ukraine and its effects, the PM’s press chief said, adding that Orbán will make clear that Hungary is opposed to imposing sanctions on Russian energy.

Orbán said at international talks ahead of the summit that the economic impact of the sanctions imposed on Russia over the war was high, but would have even more severe effects if they were to be applied to Russia’s oil and gas networks, Bertalan Havasi said.

Orbán has made it clear that Hungary could not follow the example of the United States and extend its sanctions to those sectors. “This would be an unbearable burden for Hungary, so joining these sanctions is out of the question,” the prime minister has said.

“We continue to require the gas and oil that is arriving from Russia.”

Several other EU leaders and economic interest groups have expressed similar positions on potential sanctions against Russian energy this past week, the statement said.

• Read also: Orbán: Hungary won’t join sanctions on Russian energy!

Meanwhile, Fidesz has accused Hungary’s left wing of “quietly sabotaging” Hungary in Brussels amid the war in Ukraine. Undermining Hungary “is still more important than anything else for the left,” the ruling party said in a statement on Thursday, adding that

its actions were “shocking and shameful” amid the current circumstances.

The statement, referring to Democratic Coalition MEP Klára Dobrev, said: “Mrs Gyurcsány and every other Hungarian left-wing MEP voted on Wednesday for Brussels to intensify its attack on the child protection law before the elections and firm up political blackmail against Hungary.”

“Amid the circumstances of war, is this honestly what is most important? Our view is that Hungary’s priority is peace and security, and that nothing should endanger Hungarian children,” the statement said.

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Source: MTI