Hungary does not support new EU sanctions on Russian gas

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban (Getty Images)

Hungary refuses to support new European sanctions on Russian gas, according to Politico.

Several sources have indicated that Hungary has expressed serious doubts regarding the new proposal for sanctions during initial talks with ambassadors, stopping short of directly opposing the measure but demonstrating their apprehension. Hungary's chief envoy stated that Budapest would block any sanctions that increase the cost of energy resources in Europe.

"We are going to analyze the package but do not support anything that might have a negative impact on [the] EU gas market," said a Hungarian official during a diplomat meeting on Wednesday, according to two diplomats familiar with the discussions.

The sanctions would prohibit EU countries from re-exporting Russian liquefied natural gas (LNG), potentially depriving Moscow of significant revenue. However, they would not halt EU purchases of Russian gas and would not directly harm Hungary's business interests.

Nevertheless, Hungary heavily relies on Russian exports and has long opposed further energy sanctions on Moscow, which require unanimous support from all 27 EU countries.

Several other countries, including France, Germany, Italy, and Spain, also sought detailed technical information on the measures during initial talks, according to attendees. However, Hungary was the most hesitant.

Sanctions against Russia

EU countries may impose restrictions on the export of Russian liquefied natural gas. This measure is included in the 14th package of sanctions sent by the European Commission for consideration by EU member states.

A complete ban on the import of Russian LNG into the European Union is not currently planned.

Approval from all EU leaders is required to make a decision.

However, it is believed within the European Union that there will be no problems adopting sanctions against Russian LNG.