Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban on June 22 urged the European Union (EU) to lift the ban on Russian energy from the agenda due to expected increases in energy prices after the US attack on Iran.
"We are facing a continued increase in energy prices. This is a serious threat. Therefore, we must remove regulations and ban on Russian energy in Brussels. We have encountered too many problems, especially when the Iran- Israel conflict is negatively affecting energy prices," Mr. Orban shared after the National Defense Council meeting to discuss the security and economic impacts of the conflict in the Middle East.
Earlier, also on June 22, Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto held a phone call with the Foreign Ministers of Israel, Russia, Bahrain and Jordan to discuss the Middle East crisis.
The EU has imposed sanctions on most of Russia's oil imports but has not imposed sanctions on gas due to protests from Slovakia and Hungary. The two countries continue to import Russian gas and oil and are opposing Ukraine's suspension of Russian gas transit by the end of 2024.
Analysts said that oil prices have skyrocketed since Israel began attacking Iran a week ago, which could increase inflationary pressures in Central Europe, which depends on imports.
On June 17, the European Commission proposed a legally binding ban on the EU importing Russian liquefied natural gas and gas by the end of 2027, using legal measures to ensure the plan is not contested by Hungary and Slovakia.
