RT reported that speaking on January 18 in Belgrade, Serbia, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban emphasized that rising fuel prices are a serious threat to life and the economy.
During a meeting with Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic to discuss the energy security of the two countries and the region, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban called the current situation “absolutely absurd”.
“In recent days, the energy supply situation in Europe has had unfavorable developments. Ukraine has closed the gas pipeline supplying Hungary, and the outgoing US administration has also taken measures to increase energy prices in Europe,” said Mr. Orban.
“What is happening at gas stations in Hungary today is unacceptable, even outrageous,” he added. “Europe is heading towards an energy crisis, and Hungary must find a way to avoid it – a task that will not be easy.”
Mr Orban stressed the importance of protecting the TurkStream pipeline – Hungary’s main gas supply route through Serbia – and said the pipeline had recently been attacked by Ukrainian drones targeting a gas compressor station in Russia.
“Our task now is to protect the only remaining pipeline that brings gas from Russian territory to Hungary. This route passes through Serbia, and protecting it is in the common interest of both countries,” Mr. Orban said. He also stressed that ensuring the security of the pipeline is necessary to protect Hungarian families, households and businesses from the storm of energy prices.
In late 2024, Ukraine refused to renew its five-year gas transit contract with Russian oil giant Gazprom, cutting off gas supplies via Russian pipelines to Hungary, Romania, Poland, Slovakia, Austria, Italy and Moldova. Hungary now relies entirely on the TurkStream gas pipeline - a key energy corridor that transports gas from Russia to Türkiye across the Black Sea.
On January 11, Kiev attacked a gas compressor station in Russia’s Krasnodar region that supplies gas to TurkStream. According to the Russian Defense Ministry, the attack used nine suicide drones and was largely thwarted, but one drone crashed near the gas metering station, causing minor damage.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov accused Ukraine of continuing its policy of “energy terrorism.” Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov even accused the United States of being involved in the attempt to sabotage the gas facility. “I am convinced that the United States does not want competitors in any sphere, especially energy,” he said.
