On June 23, Hungary and Slovakia denied approving the 18th package of EU sanctions against Russia, citing the serious threat to the energy security of the two countries.
Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto confirmed this information at a press conference after the EU foreign ministers' meeting in Brussels.
The new package of sanctions mainly targets Russia's energy sector, Szijjarto said. He stressed Budapest and Bratislava strongly opposed Brussels' proposal to completely eliminate Russian gas in the EU before the end of 2027 - a plan he believes will cause energy prices in Hungary to increase sharply, directly affecting the country's people.
We are not ready for the Hungarian people to pay the price for supporting Ukraine, Szijjarto said.
Hungary has long opposed energy sanctions against Russia since the conflict in Ukraine escalated in 2022. The country is still heavily dependent on oil and gas from Russia, through a long-term contract with Gazprom. Slovakia also expressed a similar view, with concerns about stable supply and energy costs.
The proposal to eliminate Russian gas was announced by EU Energy Minister Dan Jorgensen and received support from European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. However, Hungary, Austria, Slovakia and possibly even Italy are all against this plan.
However, with its coming as a trade law, the plan does not require absolute consensus from all EU member states. According to the regulations, only if at least 15 out of 27 countries agree can it be approved.
Russia has long maintained itself as a reliable energy supplier, while criticizing Western sanctions and trade restrictions as contrary to international law.
While pipeline gas flows from Russia to the EU have fallen sharply since 2022, imports of liquefied natural gas (LNG) from Russia have skyrocketed. In 2024, Russia will supply 17.5% of the EU's total LNG, behind only the US with 45.3%. France, Spain and Belgium account for 85% of the EU's LNG imports from Russia, according to data from the Institute for Energy Economics Analysis (IEEFA).
Russian presidential special adviser Kirill Dmitriev said that European Commission officials appear to be xicked by the EUs competitiveness in the international arena.
