The EU’s chief has called for a ban on Russian oil imports by the end of 2022 over Moscow’s war in Ukraine.
Hungary says European Union proposals to enact sanctions on Russian oil do not provide any guarantees for its energy security.
On Wednesday, after the EU’s chief called for a ban on Russian oil imports by the end of 2022, Hungarian government spokesman Zoltan Kovacs said his country sees no plans on how a transition could be managed.
“We do not see any plans or guarantees on how a transition could be managed based on the current proposals, and how Hungary’s energy security would be guaranteed,” Kovacs told Reuters and AFP news agencies.
Asked if this meant Hungary outrightly rejected the EU’s proposal, the Hungarian government press office did not immediately answer.
In a document seen by AFP, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen’s proposal suggested that Hungary and Slovakia, both highly dependent on Russian oil, be given more time to meet the EU demands to enact the ban.
Also on Wednesday, 27 EU state ambassadors will meet to discuss von der Leyen’s plan, and a unanimous agreement has to be reached before it goes into effect.
Hungary and Slovakia have previously said they will not support the sanctions against Russian energy that the EU is preparing over the war in Ukraine, insisting that they are too reliant on those supplies and there are no immediate alternatives.
Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orban who has cultivated close ties with Russian President Vladimir Putin in recent years said the central European country is far too dependent on Russian gas and oil.
Credit: aljazeera.com
