Hungary is not going to give up Russian oil

Budapest says it has no plans to stop importing Russian oil, despite the EU's sanctions policy and its partners' calls to reduce dependence on Moscow's energy resources.

Government position

Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó emphasised that the country receives a significant part of its energy resources through the pipeline «Druzhba», and it is impossible to abandon this route at the moment. According to him, without Russian oil, the Hungarian economy would suffer serious losses.

«Hungary's energy security is a priority for us. We will not support decisions that are detrimental to our national interests,» Szijjarto said.

Context.

• Hungary has repeatedly blocked or delayed the adoption of EU sanctions packages related to the Russian energy sector.

• The country has long-term contracts with Rosneft and Lukoil for the supply of crude oil.

• More than 60% of Hungary's refining needs are met by imports from Russia.

Reaction of partners

European countries continue to urge Budapest to reduce its dependence on Moscow and diversify its sources of supply. At the same time, official Budapest insists that the alternative options are too expensive and logistically complicated.

What's next

Analysts believe that Hungary's position will continue to pose challenges to EU unity on energy sanctions against Russia. At the same time, Brussels expects that in the medium term, the country will be forced to look for alternative supply routes due to the overall decline in exports from Russia.