EU sanctions against Russia

Russia’s decision: Hungary and Slovakia on the list of unfriendly countries

The Russian government has decided to keep Hungary and Slovakia on its list of “unfriendly” countries, citing insufficient grounds for their removal despite their willingness to maintain political dialogue with Moscow, the Russian Foreign Ministry confirmed to the daily Izvestia on Wednesday.

The list, introduced in March 2022 following the onset of the war in Ukraine, includes nations deemed to have taken hostile actions against the Russian Federation, including imposing sanctions. Hungary and Slovakia, as EU and NATO member states, were added to the list for adhering to bloc-wide anti-Russian sanctions, according to Pénzcentrum.

Orbán Putin visit Russian cyber attacks
Photo: Facebook/OrbánViktor

Russia keeps Hungary on list of “unfriendly countries”

The Russian Foreign Ministry noted that while Hungary and Slovakia strive to preserve strategic trade and economic ties with Russia and support bilateral political dialogue, their commitments to EU and NATO policies force them to comply with restrictive measures against Moscow. This allegiance to Western discipline leaves no justification for revising their current status.

“In accordance with the Russian Federation government’s decree No. 430 of March 5, 2022, Hungary and Slovakia were listed as countries that have committed unfriendly actions against Russia, as well as its legal entities and citizens. Despite efforts to sustain valuable outcomes in strategically important areas of trade and economic cooperation, their alignment with EU and NATO obligations, including anti-Russian restrictions, precludes any status changes,” the ministry stated.

Russia’s list of unfriendly countries, which originally emerged in response to international sanctions following its invasion of Ukraine, currently comprises 46 states. These include all 27 EU member states, along with nations such as the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Japan, Australia, South Korea, Switzerland, and Taiwan.

The Russian Finance Ministry also reiterated to Izvestia that Hungary and Slovakia’s participation in the EU’s sanction mechanisms justified their inclusion on the list. The ministry highlighted that the list serves as a reflection of countries enacting unilateral restrictive measures against Moscow.

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Átlátszó: Sanctioned Belarusian businessman has been involved in shady deals in Hungary

A Belarusian businessman, Viktor Chevtsov, previously accused of financial crimes and closely tied to the Lukashenko regime, was found to have registered a company in Hungary despite being under EU sanctions. His company, PS Commodities Ltd., reported hundreds of millions of forints in revenue over several years without visible activity, leading to its closure by Hungarian authorities this year.

Suspicious business operations in Hungary

In August, the Belarusian Investigative Center (BIC) informed Hungarian investigative portal Átlátszó about Chevtsov’s potential business operations in Hungary. Subsequent investigations confirmed that PS Commodities Ltd., registered in 2019, operated without clear activities yet reported substantial revenues, including HUF 346.57 million (EUR 842,100) last year. The company’s headquarters was listed at a Budapest apartment, raising questions about its legitimacy.

The National Tax and Customs Administration (NAV) suspended PS Commodities after determining its owner was subject to sanctions for undermining Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Links to residency bond scandals

Chevtsov’s company is also connected to a Hungarian woman, Krisztina Simon, who was involved with the VolDan Investments firm, previously active in Hungary’s controversial residency bond program linked to Minister Antal Rogán, Átlátszó wrote. The program facilitated EU residency for foreign investors, often criticised for its lack of transparency.

Simon’s association with Chevtsov highlights further concerns, as her listed address overlaps with one registered by the Belarusian businessman. VolDan Investments, connected to Rogán’s associate Shabtai Michaeli, had faced allegations of financial misconduct.

Chevtsov’s dubious history

Chevtsov, known for his ties to the Lukashenko regime, managed financial operations in Belarus during the 1990s, including positions in Infobank, later accused of laundering profits from illegal arms trade. The U.S. Department of Justice also implicated Infobank in laundering funds for Saddam Hussein’s regime.

In recent years, Chevtsov became a major shareholder in a Belarusian company that monopolised hologram production under the Lukashenko government. This enterprise played a role in supporting Ukraine-related aggression, prompting EU sanctions.

Fictitious business activities

PS Commodities claimed involvement in diverse industries, including fruit trade, chemicals, and MOL lubricants. However, MOL denied any connection. Despite PS Commodities’ claimed global operations, the company had no visible workforce or physical office.

This case marks the first known instance of an EU-sanctioned individual facing asset-related action in Hungary. It underscores concerns over Hungary’s vulnerabilities to questionable financial activities, particularly by individuals tied to controversial regimes. The involvement of entities linked to Hungary’s residency bond programme adds another layer of scrutiny to a scheme already fraught with allegations of misconduct.

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Featured image: depositphotos.com

Euronews: European Commission critiques Hungary’s fiscal plans for lacking crucial details

Hungary’s fiscal strategy has drawn sharp criticism from the European Commission for lacking crucial details and relying on questionable data, as tensions grow between Budapest and Brussels over economic governance and compliance with EU rules.

Fiscal strategy under scrutiny

As Euronews reports, Hungary’s fiscal strategy has come under scrutiny for lacking crucial details and relying on questionable data, according to European Commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis’ letter sent to Finance Minister Mihály Varga. The letter, dated 5 December, highlights concerns over Hungary’s unrealistic economic forecasts submitted to Brussels, which are essential for evaluating its medium-term fiscal plans. Dombrovskis emphasised that key elements of the plan are either absent or require significant refinement, complicating the European Commission’s ability to complete its assessment.

european commission budget deficit
European Commission, Brussels. Photo: Pixabay

Critique on Hungarian economic growth

The Commission also criticised discrepancies in Hungary’s data on economic growth, inflation, and interest expenditure, urging better alignment with EU methodologies. The analysis aims to detail how Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s government intends to achieve fiscal balance after pandemic-induced spending relaxations. However, the EU’s evaluation may be delayed beyond the current 12 December deadline, potentially extending into January, due to the extensive gaps in the submitted information.

Viktor Orbán European Commission ultimatum
Photo: FB/Viktor Orbán

Strict debt and deficit limits

The EU imposes strict debt and deficit limits on member states under its Stability and Growth Pact, though enforcement has historically been lenient. These rules, aimed at preventing economic crises like Greece’s in 2007-8, were suspended during the pandemic and energy crisis but have been reinstated this year. Hungary’s delayed fiscal plan submission meant it missed November’s assessments, unlike most other member states. Exceptions were made for five nations, including Germany and Belgium, facing political disruptions. Of 21 assessed plans, only the Netherlands failed, criticised for its projected deficit increase driven by tax cuts and higher public investment.

Meeting Brussels’ fiscal demands often stirs domestic political tensions, as seen in France where Prime Minister Michel Barnier’s government collapsed over resistance to his deficit-reduction plan. Meanwhile, Hungary faces its own challenges after six contentious months chairing the EU Council. Budapest has blocked sanctions against Russia, defied EU court rulings on asylum rights, and faced suspended EU funds as a result of its actions.

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Hungary requests US exemption for Russian Gazprombank sanctions to secure gas payments

The Hungarian government has requested that United States authorities exempt Russia’s Gazprombank from sanctions to allow countries in the region to pay for their gas deliveries, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó said in Brussels on Wednesday.

Fielding questions from journalists after a meeting of NATO foreign ministers, Szijjártó said that the United States’ chief diplomat had signalled a willingness for some form of consultations with allies on the sanctions affecting Gazprombank.

russia us sanctions exemption gazprombank
A branch of Russian Gazprombank in Moscow. Photo: MTI/MTVA/Jurij Kocsetkov

“It would have been better if this had happened before…but that’s how things turned out,” he added.

Szijjártó said the new sanctions on Gazprombank could cause serious difficulties for Hungary and two other NATO members, as well as for Serbia, as any stoppage in imports of Russian gas would threaten the security of their energy supplies.

“I have indicated to the American secretary of state that this is the kind of measure that could cause trouble for allies,” he added.

Szijjártó said the government had submitted a request to the relevant US authority on Tuesday asking for an exemption from the sanctions in the case of payments for gas deliveries. Such an exemption would not be without precedent, he added, noting that a number of Russian banks, mainly ones involved with the trade of Russian uranium, had received similar exemptions.

Szijjártó said he had consulted on the matter by phone with the energy ministers of Serbia, Slovakia and Türkiye, with whom coordinated steps would be taken.

Hungary ensures one-third of Ukraine’s imports of electricity and will continue to do so in future, too, he added.

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Hungarian man violates sanctions against Russia, receives fine

hungarian man violates russia sanctions

A man from Sándorfalva (close to Szeged) was fined for attempting to import car parts worth HUF 35 million (EUR 84.5 thousand) from Russia in violation of EU sanctions imposed due to the war in Ukraine. The accused, who tried to conceal the Russian origin of the goods by involving a Belarusian company, admitted his guilt and reached a settlement with prosecutors. He was fined HUF 1 million (EUR 2,400), ordered to pay additional legal costs, and had the parts confiscated.

A man from the Szeged region faced charges on Wednesday for violating sanctions imposed on Russia, after he attempted to clear a shipment of car parts worth HUF 35 million, originating from Russia, through customs in October 2022. The parts were intended for free circulation, which would have allowed them to be sold and used in Hungary, Szegeder reported.

Hungarian man tried to bypass sanctions

The accused, identified as M. M., tried to conceal the Russian origin of the goods by introducing a Belarusian company into the supply chain. This act violated EU sanctions against Russia, which were enacted due to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. These sanctions, as per the 833/2014/EU regulation, prohibit the purchase, import, or transfer of goods to the EU that could generate significant revenue for Russia, thereby enabling destabilising actions in Ukraine.

M. M., a seasoned trader with decades of experience in importing car parts from foreign companies to Hungary, had developed ties with various international businesses, facilitating the importation of goods from Russia. During the investigation, a settlement was reached between the defence and the prosecution. The prosecution suggested a fine of HUF 1 million, the confiscation of part of the evidence, and the payment of legal costs.

The defendant, acknowledging his guilt, agreed to the terms of the settlement. The Szeged Court approved the agreement, confirming the HUF 1 million fine, the confiscation of the car parts, and the payment of additional criminal costs amounting to approximately HUF 56,000 (EUR 135).

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Featured image: depositphotos.com

POLITICO: The price MOL would accept to abandon Russian oil in Hungary

Russian oil transit MOL

MOL faces a pivotal crossroads as Hungary’s oil company navigates EU sanctions, costly refinery upgrades, and a race against time to end reliance on Russian crude—if Brussels agrees to help foot the bill.

Is MOL ready to give up on Russian oil?

As Politico writes, Hungary is willing to end its reliance on Russian oil by late 2026, provided the European Union contributes financial support, according to MOL Group, the country’s leading oil and gas company. György Bacsa, MOL‘s executive vice president for strategic operations, highlighted the USD 500 million (EUR 474 million) cost of adapting its refineries, including Hungary’s sole facility processing Russian crude, to handle alternative supplies.

While the EU has set an informal 2027 deadline for phasing out Russian oil, the Hungarian oil company is seeking “a couple of hundred million” in EU funding to accelerate the transition. The Hungarian oil company also operates refineries in Slovakia that process Russian crude, underscoring the broader regional impact of diversification efforts.

MOL Campus at night Russian oil
The MOL Tower in Budapest. Photo: FB/MOL Campus

Lack of EU financial support

Hungary’s reliance on Russian oil persists, with MOL continuing imports under a long-term contract with Russia’s Lukoil, set to expire in mid-2024. György Bacsa, the company’s executive vice president, emphasised that Hungary’s refining sector currently receives no EU financial support for transitioning away from Russian crude, despite the EU’s focus on energy security. While Hungary remains one of the few EU countries exempt from the 2022 ban on seaborne Russian oil imports, its dependence has increased, even as other Central European nations reduce theirs.

Bacsa expressed concern over potential EU sanctions tightening without accounting for Hungary and Slovakia’s reliance on Russian oil. He warned that new policies, like the roadmap of incoming EU energy chief Dan Jørgensen, must address regional disparities, as Western Europe’s energy transition pace does not reflect Hungary’s challenges. Meanwhile, the Hungarian oil company continues sourcing discounted Russian crude and negotiating future supply deals if legally permissible.

Russian oil transit MOL
Photo: PrtScr/MOL Group Video Facebook

Trouble with navigating sanctions

The Hungarian oil giant, partially owned by the government, has faced challenges navigating EU sanctions and geopolitical tensions. While windfall taxes imposed by Budapest on MOL generate significant revenue for the state, the firm’s reliance on Russian oil remains under scrutiny. In July, the Hungarian oil company resolved a crisis when Ukraine sanctioned Lukoil by agreeing to reclassify Russian oil as Hungarian once it crossed into Ukraine, securing supply continuity. However, this workaround may face opposition from the EU, as briefing documents for incoming energy commissioner Dan Jørgensen suggest MOL’s imports through Ukraine could still be classified as Russian oil, potentially complicating Hungary’s energy strategy.

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Opposition Tisza Party: Key to Hungary’s sovereignty is ending Russia energy dependence – UPDATED

The key to ensuring Hungary’s sovereignty is ending Russian energy dependence, the European parliamentary group of the opposition Tisza Party said in a statement on Thursday.

The EP voted on Thursday to strengthen implementation of sanctions against Russia, calling for a full ban on Russian energy imports, including products using Russian oil refined in third countries, the statement said.

tisza party meps
Tisza Party MEPs. Photo: Facebook/Péter Magyar

Owing to the ill-considered policies of the Orban government, however, a full and immediate ban on Russian oil and gas imports would endanger Hungary’s energy supplies, so Tisza MEPs abstained from voting on certain points, it added.

The statement referred to “suspicious transactions revealed since the 2022 Russian invasion”.

“Russian strategic corruption is blooming in Hungary. The old political elite has been selling the country to Putin instead of pursuing national interests and energy independence,” it added.

The statement said that Hungarian companies paid some of the highest prices for gas and electricity in the European Union because the government had neglected to invest in the sector and had accepted the country’s dependence on Russian energy, it said.

Meanwhile, monies from the European recovery fund, including RepowerEU support which would help grow independence from Russian energy, had been withheld from Hungary due to high-level corruption, the statement added. Hungarians were losing 4 billion euros in preferential loans and 700 million euros of non-refundable support, it added.

If the Tisza Party entered government, it would bring EU monies to Hungary and invest in the diversification of Hungary’s energy supplies instead of wasteful luxury investments, the statement said. Until then, “because of the government’s criminal negligence”, we are obliged to explain to European partners and Hungarian voters that Russian energy dependence must be abandoned before we can safely give up Russian energy imports, the statement added.

UPDATE: Fidesz-KDNP reaction

The Fidesz-KDNP group in the EP said in a statement that Tisza Party politicians had “once again” failed to protect Hungarian interests and the party endangered Hungary’s energy security.

As a result of ill-fated sanctions by Brussels, the price of natural gas increased several fold, and, contrary to “Brussels’ promise”, Russia’s economy did not buckle, the statement said. This demonstrated the failure of Brussels’ war strategy, it added. “It is unacceptable that, despite the facts, the EP calls on EU member states in various resolutions to ban imports of Russian crude oil, natural gas and nuclear products,” the group said.

The proposals severely endangered the energy security of several member states, including Hungary, and would cause economic damage to Hungarian households and businesses, it said. Tisza Party MEPs “know this well” and, despite this, they did not stand up against the proposals that threaten Hungary’s energy security, it added.

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PM Orbán’s political director: ‘Hungary must represent a policy of economic neutrality’

Hungary has to endorse a policy of economic neutrality amid a transformation on a global level which is going with the emergence of economic blocs, the prime minister’s political director told public radio on Sunday.

PM’s political director talks about Hungary’s economic neutrality

Hungary must be on alert to respond with the appropriate strategy in the ongoing enormous global transformation, Balázs Orbán said on Kossuth radio.

He said that certain “western liberal players” aimed to respond to the transformation by limiting the scope of action of their allies in political, military, economic, cultural and other aspects “because they want to prevent them from maintaining ties with countries outside the alliance,” he said. “The emergence of such blocs in the western world would mean for Hungary to come under the control of a bloc, lose its sovereignty which would result in the country’s losing the opportunity to develop,” the political director said, adding that “this must be avoided by all means”.

“We do not want confrontation between the blocs, we reject the policy of the formation of blocs as we also reject the regime of sanctions and ideology or geopolitics driven trade relations,” he said, adding that such an approach “will take Hungary into a situation that allows a dynamic economic growth and development in the coming decades”.

The political director said that Hungary had to defend itself against “the social pressure mounted by the West with the aim to enforce upon us a liberal, universalist western culture in which nation, family, religious and social communities are no longer valued”.

He said Hungary’s modernisation had to continue, insisting that without well-developed infrastructure and industry branches, and advancements in education and talent support the country “will lag behind and will not be able to further strengthen”.

The political director called maintaining Hungary’s sovereignty and broadening the country’s foreign ties important tasks for the next several years.

The political director said that competition was enormous not only for Chinese but for other investments as well. “Hungary performs well in this competition because, among other things, it communicates openly, addresses other countries with respect, openly states what its interests are, what its opportunities are, while others cannot succeed as they want to give a kind of ideological or geopolitical guise to building trade relations, he said.

Orbán talked about the Hungarian grand strategy at Balaton festival
Photo: FB/Balázs Orbán

Balázs Orbán added that the policy that first made Hungary one of the most important trade partners for Germany and the German-speaking world must be maintained.

The Americans are still present in Hungary to a “significant extent”, cooperation is strong, there is hope this can be strengthened in the future, he said, adding and in recent years “an Asian leg has appeared” in the Hungarian economy. In addition to the Japanese, South Korean, Chinese and other investors have also appeared, while Hungarian companies have also found markets in Central Asia and the Far East, he added.

“These are all results that will show their everyday benefits in the coming years, when people will notice that Hungarian wages are rising, Hungarian jobs are protected, and the Hungarian supply chain is becoming stronger and stronger.”

Talking about the Russian-Ukraine war, he said that according to books, these types of military conflicts are always resolved by restoring communication channels and establishing short-term ceasefires, these create an international environment where there is a chance to reach a long-term solution.

Asked whether the European elite’s attitude towards Hungary would change, the political director said that “the liberals have serious positions in the European political leadership, and we are working against the wind,” but “in European politics in this situation too, there must be an allied policy and strategy on how to enforce their own interests”.

Orban said there had been progress made on this issue in the past months as the Patriots for Europe (PoE) European parliamentary group had been established. “Also, Hungary is now holding the rotating EU presidency and these are serious opportunities that must be tapped.”

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Sky-high fuel prices and power outages may come in Hungary after Ukraine ban on Russian oil import

MOL fuel station

There is no time to waste in finding a solution to the Ukraine ban. Hungary’s strategic reserve is only enough for 90 days, while Ukraine openly said their decision to partly ban Russian oil imports aims to reduce Hungary’s resistance concerning arms deliveries and the country’s EU accession. Will Hungary accept Kyiv’s demands or a kind of “cold war” starts with skyrocketing prices and shortages?

Fuel price hike and power outages in Hungary?

Ukrainian President Zelensky and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán met in Kyiv for the first time on 5 July since the country’s Russian invasion began. The two looked happy after the long negotiation. Orbán talked about peace, and the press reports focused on how Ukraine would modify its laws to help the indigenous Hungarian minority survive in Transcarpathia.

However, it seems the Hungarian government’s peace mission (including Orbán’s visit to Beijing, and Moscow) did not only revolt some politicians in Brussels but urged Ukrainian politicians to do something harmful to win Hungary’s support for arms deliveries and EU accession. This week, for example, Zelensky suggested in a speech in the UK that PM Orbán was a traitor to the alliance since he visited Putin in Moscow.

PM Orbán arrived in Washington while NATO allies call him Putin's useful idiot oil
Photo: FB/Orbán

We wrote on Thursday that Ukraine halted Russian oil giant Lukoil’s supply to Hungarian company MOL Plc. MOL processes around 70% of its oil from Russia and Lukoil’s supply is half of it. The ban comes after a new presidential decree entering into effect in June which tightened sanctions on Lukoil.

Kyiv wants to reduce Moscow’s oil money

FM Szijjártó called the Ukrainian decision “incomprehensible and unacceptable” and said they should find a quick solution. Before, he talked about oil transit through Belarus, but MOL refused to comment. Hungary would be in trouble in the medium term, Szijjártó highlighted. “The Ukrainian decision will seriously impact the security of oil supplies to Hungary and Slovakia in the long term,” Szijjártó noted.

Szijjártó lavrov oil
Szijjártó and Lavrov in New York. Photo: FB/Szijjártó

Ilona Gizińska, a Hungary expert of the Polish OSW institute (Centre for Eastern Studies) told Politico that “the Ukrainian measures could create a severe situation.” Though Kyiv’s aim is to take out money from Moscow’s war coffers, a side-effect is that Hungary (and Slovakia) may face an energy crisis in the middle of the summer heatwave.

Is Ukraine blackmailing Hungary?

But Ukraine does not seem to be worried because of that side effect. “It’s actually absurd to allow them to make this money by transporting this oil through Ukrainian territory if the money is then being used to kill us,” Inna Sovsun, a Ukrainian lawmaker from the opposition pro-EU Holos party who sits in the parliament’s energy committee, said.

MOL fuel station Hungary oil
Should we expect fuel shortages soon? Creative Commons CC0 1.0

She also made it clear that the ban’s aim was to overturn Hungary’s opposition to arms deliveries to Ukraine and the country’s EU accession.

Politico wrote about alternatives. For example, Hungary could get more oil from Rosneft, another Russian oil giant, or increase supply via the Adria Pipeline from Croatia. Finally, it can use its strategic reserves enough for 90 days. But time is running out.

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UPDATE – 22 June, 2024

Hungary initiates procedure against Ukraine, but not alone

Russia seeks to play friendly football match in Budapest amidst isolation

puskas arena champions league 2026 russia match

On June 7, in an article analysing the Hungarian national team, Nemzeti Sport reported that the Russian Football Union (RFU) had contacted the Hungarian Football Association (MLSZ), as they wanted to book a preparation match for the Russian national team.

Russia wants to play in Hungary

In Friday’s edition of Nemzeti Sport, in a two-column article on the Hungarian national team’s preparations, there was a small framed text about the Russians’ desire to play a preparation match in Hungary. There is no news about a date or the MLSZ’s reaction.

According to 444.hu, since the outbreak of the Ukraine war in February 2022, the Russian team has played eight away matches due to their exclusion from UEFA competitions. These matches were held in the following countries:

  • Kyrgyzstan
  • Tajikistan
  • Uzbekistan
  • Iran
  • Egypt
  • Qatar
  • Turkey (opponent: Kenya)
  • Belarus

Despite their isolation, the Russian team has not lost a match since September last year, with a record of four wins and two draws. What is more, they have not conceded a goal in their last three games, scoring 16. Notable victories include an 8-0 win against Cuba and 4-0 wins against Belarus and Serbia, the latter being a significant achievement against a European Championship participant.

In the spring, Russia played Serbia in Moscow, while Crvena Zvezda hosted Gazprom-sponsored Zenit in Belgrade, with fans displaying Russian flags and anti-EU and NATO symbols. Zenit plans to host a mini-tournament this summer, inviting Crvena Zvezda, and possibly Ferencváros, given Gazprom’s involvement with the club.

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Hungarian minister in Belarus: possible use of nuclear weapons shocking

Hungarian minister in Belarus possible use of nuclear weapons shocking

Hungary is “shocked by statements concerning Western troops to be sent to Ukraine, a possible use of nuclear weapons or even introducing mandatory conscription in Europe,” Péter Szijjártó, the foreign minister, said in Minsk on Wednesday.

At a press conference held jointly with his Belarusian counterpart, Sergei Aleinik, Szijjártó said both countries had to face the “dramatic ramifications” of the war in Ukraine on a daily basis, according to a statement by the foreign ministry.

“We Hungarians have already paid a huge price irrespective of the fact that it is not at all our war … Hungary’s goal is clear: we want to stay out of that war in neighbouring Ukraine,” the ministry quoted Szijjártó as saying. He insisted that there was no military solution to the war, adding that “in the battlefield there are only death and destruction”.

But “as long as we are in government in Hungary, we will not allow a single Hungarian to be taken to the Ukraine-Russia front … we firmly protest against introducing mandatory conscription in Europe,” he said. “The road to peace starts with a ceasefire with peace talks to follow,” he said, and asked Belarus to “do everything to ensure that the war, suffering, and senseless killing end in Ukraine and we all can again live in peace in the region,” he said.

Connectivity and international cooperation are Hungary’s aims

The re-emergence of blocs in the world poses a “serious long-term risk” he said, adding that it went against Hungary’s interests. “We want the world to make steps towards connectivity and international cooperation … we think that we need as few sanctions as possible and as much cooperation as possible,” he added.

The Hungarian government wants to develop its cooperation with Belarus in all areas that are not affected by the EU’s sanctions against Russia, he said, adding that Belarus was also ready to cooperate. He also noted that he was accompanied by representatives of 24 Hungarian companies on his visit, and added that the delegation was set to have 92 bilateral talks while in Minsk.

Last year Hungarian companies exported nearly 10 million hatching eggs to Belarus, followed by several hundreds of thousands of baby chicken this year, Szijjártó said. He also noted two Hungarian companies being among the 20 companies with the largest pharmaceutical market share in that country.

Druzhba pipeline important

Szijjártó referred to Belarus as “an extremely important factor” to Hungary’s energy security, noting that 80 percent of Hungary’s crude oil supplies came through Belarus, with a total of 4.5 million tonnes last year and nearly 2 million tonnes delivered already since the beginning of 2024.

Secure oil supplies to Hungary “would be impossible without the Druzhba pipeline … for physical reasons … oil can only be shipped through pipes,” Szijjártó said. He noted that “no other pipe of such capacity comes to Hungary” and added that Croatia had “raised the transit fee for rather than the capacity of their own pipeline.”

Hungary and Belarus have signed a nuclear energy cooperation deal under which “Belarusian experience could be used in (Hungary’s) Paks upgrade project,” Szijjártó said. “I hope that Belarus’s companies would soon join US, German, and French companies that are currently working at the Paks nuclear plant construction as partners of Rosatom,” the minister said.

On another subject, Szijjártó said in the next sports season Hungary would continue to offer an opportunity for Belarusian sports teams to play their matches in Hungary “just as it had done in the case of Israel and Ukraine.” He noted that Israel’s national football team, the Ukrainian handball team and Belarusian teams had played cup matches in Hungary in the past season.

Szijjártó in Belarus: Hungary does not believe in the EU sanctions

The Hungarian government is against “mixing up geopolitics and sports” and “we are also against political factors determining who is allowed to compete in the Olympic Games and who is not,” he said.

Meanwhile, addressing a Hungary-Belarus business forum, Szijjártó reiterated the Hungarian government’s aim to develop cooperation with Belarus in all areas not affected by EU sanctions.

“We Hungarians do not believe in a policy of sanctions. That policy, in our experience over the past two and a half years, has failed, caused enormous damage, and more to European economies than to the Russian,” the ministry quoted Szijjártó as saying.

He noted that bilateral trade totalled 142 million euros last year and has already grown by an annual 20 percent so far this year. Company leaders in the delegation he is heading represent the food, agriculture, pharmaceutical, construction and machinery sectors, the minister said.

Szijjártó said that the Hungarian government will continue to allow Belarussian nationals to obtain a Hungarian visa without restrictions, adding that “we will not accept any sort of pressure on the matter”. Citizens of Belarus can apply for a visa in eight cities, he added.

Speaking about cooperation in education, the minister mentioned the government scheme ensuring 50 yearly grants for Belarussian students studying at a Hungarian university.

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PM Orbán with Putin again: Hungary vetoed EU’s declaration against Russia

Putin Orbán Russian gas disgraceful role

Despite reports from Brussels sources indicating Hungary’s veto of a joint EU declaration planned to coincide with the second anniversary of Russia’s war on Ukraine, recent events suggest otherwise. The statement was released on Friday afternoon alongside a separate statement issued by the Hungarian government addressing the conflict.

An anonymous source informed Szabad Európa that the EU declaration commemorating the second anniversary of the Ukraine war was vetoed by the Hungarian government without providing any reason. According to a diplomat in a position of authority, the Hungarian government found the language of the statement excessively forceful.

Hungary has consistently blocked multiple EU statements in recent times including a joint declaration opposing Israel’s latest land offensive in Gaza. The statement, which Hungary vetoed, was a joint statement by EU leaders including Charles Michel of the European Council, Ursula von der Leyen of the European Commission and Roberta Metsola, President of the European Parliament. However, any declaration representing the European Union needs unanimous support from all 27 member states.

Statement from the Hungarian government

The Government Information Centre issued a statement on Friday addressing the two-year war in Ukraine. In the statement, Hungary expressed condolences for the victims of the conflict, extended sympathy for the hundreds of thousands of widows and orphans affected and pledged support for Ukraine in caring for the wounded and war invalids.

Hungary also reaffirmed its dedication to assisting millions of displaced persons through its most extensive humanitarian aid program to date, while actively participating in bolstering Ukraine’s energy security and reconstruction endeavours, according to Index. Hungary maintains a steadfast position that there is no military resolution to the conflict. The government urges for an immediate ceasefire and peace negotiations, calling upon all parties involved in the conflict to engage in talks toward this goal.

The EU’s decision

The leading EU institutions including the European Council, the European Commission and the European Parliament issued a statement authorised by the leaders of the member states, while individual member states also released separate declarations.

The joint statement highlights the tragic anniversary of Russia’s aggressive war against Ukraine, emphasising two years of violence and destruction in violation of international law. Despite the ongoing suffering, the statement acknowledges Ukraine’s resilience, and how the people who stayed in the country bravely defended and continue to defend their homeland and fight for freedom and shared European values.

They also emphasised the EU’s ongoing commitment to address Ukraine’s urgent military and defence requirements, highlighting the implementation of unprecedented measures as a united Europe, while working on future security commitments. Additionally, they expressed readiness to escalate pressure on Russia to weaken its military capabilities and affirmed the allocation of funds from frozen Russian assets to support Ukraine.

Read also:

  • Complete peace with Sweden: Hungary buys 4 new Gripen fighter jets – HERE
  • FM Szijjártó: Hungary rejects extreme ideologies – HERE

 

No surprise, Hungary also criticises the 13th EU sanctions package against Russia

Russia Hungary

All elements of the European Union’s 13th package of sanctions against Russia that would harm Hungarians interests “have been weeded out”, Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó said in Brussels on Monday.

The package was “for show” and did not promote peace, Szijjártó told a press conference after a meeting of the EU’s Foreign Affairs Council. The only reason for the new sanctions in the process of being finalised “is that the bloc can now say they did something ahead of the second anniversary of the war”, he added.

In the past weeks, the Hungarian government “has weeded out the measures that may have harmed Hungarian interests,” he said, according to a ministry statement.

Hungary’s fundamental economic interests are not harmed by the package, he said. “But there is a bigger problem: the EU is further pursuing a completely failed strategy, which takes us farther away from peace rather than taking us nearer,” he said.

Hungary will continue to strip any elements that may harm its interests, should further sanctions be proposed, he added.

“The sanctions packages have harmed European competitiveness while improving that of other players in the world economy. That’s a double failure, double disadvantage and double mistake. It would be good if colleagues in Brussels could draw the conclusions,” he said.

He said the EU was “still gripped by war psychosis”, and the majority refused to change its failed strategy.

“It has become clear that there is no solution to the situation on the battlefield,” he said.

“Ukraine is now drafting younger and younger conscripts, which raises the question: who is going to survive this war, who will participate in Ukraine’s reconstruction?”

He urged a ceasefire and peace talks. Hungary has once again refused to take part in delivering weapons to Ukraine, he added.

According to one proposal, the European Peace Facility would be extended by another five billion euros to finance military equipment, he said.

“We made it clear we wouldn’t participate in joint actions aimed at weapons deliveries, and will refrain from blocking such a decision only if it does not impose any duties on us, financial or otherwise,” he said.

Szijjártó said that thanks to a change in the rules of abstention, Hungary’s part of those five billion euros would not finance materiel.

Hungary will have the opportunity to determine the use of those monies, which could be ploughed into the fight against migration or strengthening stability in the Western Balkans, he said.

While Hungary will not stop other member states in making their own decisions, the government thinks weapon deliveries would only prolong war and suffering, he said.

Szijjártó also touched on upcoming talks on the extension of tariff exemptions on Ukrainian produce. Hungary’s government has banned 23 Ukrainian types of produce on its own authority and will maintain that ban should the measure be extended beyond June, he said.

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Orbán cabinet: Hungary exempt from the provisions of the new EU sanctions package

Natural-gas-pipeline

Hungary has staved off threats endangering its energy supply, having obtained exemptions to provisions in the new European Union sanctions package, Péter Szijjártó, the foreign minister, said in Brussels on Monday.

In the press conference held during the break of the European Union Foreign Affairs Council, which discussed the twelfth sanctions package against Russia, Hungary quashed a deadline for ending the exemption it has enjoyed to buy Russian crude oil through the Druzhba Pipeline.

Without the pipeline, Hungary and Slovakia would not be supplied adequately since Croatian transit capacity was too limited, he said.

As well as defeating “this hostile step”, Hungary appeared to have secured the extension of the rule which expired on Dec 5 enabling Hungarian oil and gas company Mol to continue exporting refined Russian crude oil to the Czech and Croatian markets.

Szijjártó said the sanctions package would not be vetoed if the important economic interest of Hungary were not undermined.

“It appears that the European Commission has accepted this and the draft of the sanctions proposal will include it; we’ll see,” he said.

Further, all sanctions proposals relating to the nuclear industry were rejected, he said. Such proposals would have rendered the expansion of Hungary’s Paks nuclear power plant, which was crucial to the country’s energy security, impossible, he added.

Also, regarding financial transactions outside the European Union, the adoption of restrictions that would harm national interests were abandoned, he said, adding that the government did not support the addition of either Chinese or Turkish companies to the sanctions list.

As we wrote before, Szijjártó met with Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov in Skopje, details HERE.

Also interesting: Hungary buys a lot of green energy, joining forces with four other countries

This is what Orbán and Putin talked about in Beijing

orbán and putin in china

It would be most important for Hungarians and the whole of Europe to have an end to the wave of refugees, the sanctions and the fighting in a neighbouring country, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said in a video on Tuesday.

Orbán, who travelled to Beijing on Sunday, said he had met Chinese President Xi Jinping earlier in the day to discuss bilateral economic ties and held talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin in the afternoon.

He said in Europe everybody was asking the same question whether there was going to be a ceasefire in Ukraine.

“For us, Hungarians and for the whole of Europe, it would be most important that the flow of refugees, the sanctions and the fighting should end in the neighbouring country,” Orbán said.

The answer received from the Russian president was “the least assuring”, he said, adding that Hungary had to plan its steps accordingly in the coming months.

“This is why it is important for us, Hungarians to maintain Hungarian-Russian cooperation in energy and in other eonomic areas,” the prime minister said.

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Hungary continues cooperation with Russia in unsanctioned sectors

murashko szijjártó

Hungary will continue cooperation with Russia in the areas not falling under European Union sanctions, as that is in the national interest, especially in energy security, Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó said after talks with Russian Health Minister Mikhail Murashko in Budapest on Wednesday.

The meeting was held on the sidelines of an environmental and health ministers’ conference organised in cooperation with the World Health Organisation, which offered a good opportunity to review cooperation between the two countries, Szijjártó told a joint press conference with Murashko.

Russia remains a reliable partner in the delivery of fossil fuels, without which “it would be physically impossible” to fulfil demand in Hungary, he said.

Under a long-term contract between the two countries, Russia has delivered 2.5 billion cubic meters of natural gas this year. “It is partially thanks to those deliveries that Hungary already has 42 percent of its annual consumption in reserves, compared with 23 percent in the EU on average,” he said.

Crude deliveries through the Druzhba pipeline are also uninterrupted, and have reached 2.2 billion cubic meters, he said.

“I would like to state loud and clear that Hungary has a vested interest in maintaining its decades-long energy cooperation with Russia,” he said.

At the same time, Hungary is looking to diversify its resources, he added.

The government also continues to support companies operating in Russia outside of the sectors hit by EU sanctions, “as do our Western competitors,” he said. Those sectors include banking, pharmaceuticals and health care, agriculture, the food industry and construction, he said.

The ministers discussed cooperation in oncology, Szijjártó said.

He also thanked Russia for “ensuring the safety of one million Hungarian lives” through Sputnik vaccines during the coronavirus pandemic.

Responding to questions, Szijjártó said the government’s stance on the war in Ukraine had always been clear. “We condemn the war in no uncertain terms … and think that it is in the interest of all those involved to put a swift end to it,” he said.

“At the same time, we also think that an agreement ensuring a lasting peace is only possible if we keep the channels of communication open,” he said.

Regarding Ukraine’s law on public education, Szijjártó said local authorities there “have been curbing the rights of ethnic minorities since 2015, and Hungary’s government will continue to keep the matter on the agenda until the original state of affairs is restored”.

“We don’t care how our actions are judged elsewhere in the world. We do not care if they like it in Russia, the US or Brussels … because this is about the Hungarians living in Transcarpathia,” he said, referring to a region in south-western Ukraine with a sizeable ethnic Hungarian population.

Hungary will continue to block further EU financing of Ukraine weapon deliveries until Kyiv strikes Hungarian bank OTP from its list of the financers of the war, he added.

Szijjártó: The global majority agrees with us

Hungary foreign minister Péter Szijjártó

Contrary to what the world’s liberal political and media sphere says, the global majority, much like Hungary, clearly wants peace in Ukraine as soon as possible, Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó said in Budapest on Tuesday.

Europe is facing its most serious security and economic challenges since the second world war, Szijjártó told an international conference organised by Mathias Corvinus Collegium (MCC), according to a ministry statement. Moreover, the risk of escalation is greater than ever before, while Europeans are in no way responsible for the outbreak of the war, he added.

“The fact that there are European political leaders who suffer from an increasingly worsening war psychosis is another matter,” Szijjártó said. “It also must be made clear that this is not the European people’s war, but all Europeans are paying the price for it.”

He criticised the European Union’s sanctions policy and that the bloc had “allowed the United States to provoke it into a race to see who delivers more weapons to Ukraine”.

The EU has seen a steep fall in its competitiveness, and energy prices are several times higher than in the US and China, the minister said. Meanwhile, he said that while the US Inflation Reduction Act put American businesses at an advantage, “Brussels bureaucracy” was forcing decisions that hurt all European companies.

“What’s more, the war is taking place here and its impact is much stronger in Europe,” he said.

The sanctions that have been introduced have failed to bring Russia to its knees and end the fighting, he said, adding that they had hurt Europe more than they had Russia.

“One year, three months and two weeks after the start of the war, during the debate on the eleventh sanctions package, I think it is clear to everyone, that the sanctions have failed to achieve either of their two goals,” Szijjártó said.

He warned that escalation always had the most serious effect on neighbouring countries, which was why, he said, Hungary was in a particularly difficult situation, not least because Hungarians were also dying in the war.

“And we don’t want more Hungarians do die, just like we don’t want anyone of any other nationality to die in this war,” the minister said.

“That is one of the reasons why we demand an immediate ceasefire and a start to peace talks that can at least offer hope of a sustainable peace ensuring long-term security in our region,” Szijjártó added.

He said one serious consequence of the war was the re-emergence of blocs in the world, which, he said, was “completely against the interests of central Europe”. He also raised the question of where the tens of thousands of weapons delivered to Ukraine may end up in the coming years.

Szijjártó said while western Europeans wanted to “decouple” the European and Chinese economies, major business executives were constantly asking Hungary to convince Chinese companies to invest in their area.

He also emphasised that there were several places in the world where just a fraction of the weapons sent to Ukraine could lead to “serious catastrophes, security crises and instability”.

Szijjártó said the world was “bigger than Europe”, adding that the global majority wanted peace. “We therefore mustn’t believe the mainstream liberal political and media sphere of the transatlantic world, because they’re trying to convince us that the rest of the world agrees with what we in the transatlantic region say, hear or want to say and want to hear,” he added.

But he said though the pro-peace side was under “constant pressure” from those who were “pro-war”, there was not a single Foreign Affairs Council meeting where at least some of his counterparts did not ask him in private to be “tough” on his stance.

“So that’s the situation that we’re in, but this shouldn’t discourage us from looking at this whole thing from a Hungarian perspective,” Szijjártó said.

Hungary blocks the newest EU sanctions package against Russia

But Hungary is not alone in that regard because Budapest won an unlikely ally in Athens. Politico wrote that the new EU sanctions against Russia are “stuck in limbo over Greek-Hungary protest.”

Five EU diplomats shared information about the latest sanctions and the Hungarian-Greek opposition to the paper. The 11th sanctions package is the first member of a new generation of sanctions. It concerns countries helping Moscow reach its war efforts in Ukraine or avoid the other ten trade sanction packages.

However, Hungary and Greece will baulk that process if Ukraine does not remove their companies from the list of war sponsors. In the case of Hungary, that is the OTP Bank, the biggest Hungarian-owned financial institution and leading bank in Central Europe. Athens and Budapest will use the new sanctions package as political leverage “to get their companies off Ukraine’s list.”

That is why the German foreign minister, Annalena Baerbock criticised her Hungarian counterpart in a summit of foreign ministers this week in Brussels. She said OTP Bank supported Putin’s war efforts by, e.g. giving loans to the soldiers. The German FM cited unspecified reports, but Péter Szijjártó, Hungary’s foreign minister, rejected the claims by quoting an OTP announcement. We wrote about that clash in THIS article. At a Wednesday meeting of EU ambassadors, however, Greece was at the forefront of resistance.

“Greece reiterated that should there be concrete evidence of violation of sanctions, these should be brought to the attention of the member states concerned, at the technical level, so that this be adequately investigated and then due action will be taken”, Politico cited an EU diplomat. Joseph Borell promised to work through the problems concerning the Ukrainian list.

EU diplomats said EU member states are frustrated with Hungary’s pro-Russia and pro-China stance. Hungary does not only baulk the 11th sanctions package. It also blocks the eighth money reimbursement of the EU for Kyiv until the OTP issue is not solved. We wrote about that HERE.

EU diplomats cleared other issues needed to be solved concerning the 11th sanctions package. However, they do not start negotiations about them until Hungary and Greece veto. For example, Germany worries that naming and shaming other countries can hurt diplomatic relations.