On April 4, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said that this decision was made after a phone call with Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico. The two leaders said that Europe is facing a serious energy crisis due to the chain reaction of war in Iran and escalating tensions in the Middle East.
In a video speaking on Hungarian television, Prime Minister Orbán emphasized: "We request the European Union to immediately suspend sanctions and restrictions imposed on Russian energy". He said that in the context of other supplies being threatened by conflict in the Gulf, maintaining barriers with Moscow will only make the European economy more exhausted.
In addition, Prime Minister Orbán also urged Brussels to put pressure on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to "immediately reopen the Druzhba oil pipeline" - a vital line blocked by Ukraine since January 27.
The disruption of supply through this pipeline, combined with unusual cold spells and instability in the Middle East, is pushing energy reserves of many European countries to alarming levels.
Mr. Orbán warned: "The European economy is facing the risk of energy shortages and the inevitable consequence is rising prices. This threat is imminent and can only be prevented if the EU fills its reserves from all possible sources, in the largest quantity and in the shortest time.
The Hungarian leader affirmed that, in this race against time, every day that passes today is extremely valuable.
The move by Hungary and Slovakia shows the growing rift within the EU regarding energy policy and sanctions. As resources in the Gulf region become a "strategic weapon" in the US-Iran conflict, pressure to return to supplies from Russia is becoming a politically difficult problem for European leaders.
