Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán is demanding the European Union remove all sanctions on Russian energy imports as oil prices climb due to Middle East conflicts. Orbán, known as Russia’s strongest EU ally, sent a letter to EU leadership calling for immediate action to address rising fuel costs.
BUDAPEST, Hungary — The Hungarian Prime Minister is calling on European Union leadership to eliminate sanctions against Russian energy imports as fuel costs soar amid ongoing Middle East warfare.
Viktor Orbán, widely regarded as Moscow’s strongest ally within the EU, announced through a social media video Monday that he had written to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen following what he described as explosive growth in oil prices.
The conflict involving Iran, now entering its second week, has affected key regions vital to Persian Gulf oil and gas production and transportation, driving up costs in international markets.
In his video message, Orbán declared that the 27-member European Union should “review and suspend all sanctions on Russian energy across Europe.” He also announced calling an emergency cabinet session Monday to examine ways to prevent additional increases in Hungary’s gasoline and diesel costs.
Orbán’s nationalist administration has consistently resisted EU initiatives to reduce Russian energy dependence, and together with Slovakia has continued and even expanded Russian oil and gas purchases since Moscow began its full-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022.
Both nations received temporary waivers from EU restrictions on Russian oil imports and had been receiving Russian crude through the Druzhba pipeline crossing Ukrainian territory until recently.
However, Druzhba pipeline deliveries stopped on January 27, creating growing disputes between Hungary and Ukraine. Ukrainian officials attribute the halt to Russian drone attacks damaging pipeline facilities, while Orbán has blamed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for intentionally blocking oil shipments.
As a result, Orbán blocked new EU sanctions against Russia and is preventing a massive 90-billion euro ($106 billion) EU loan to Ukraine until deliveries restart.
With polls showing him behind just one month before crucial elections, Orbán has claimed Zelenskyy is attempting to trigger an energy crisis in Hungary to affect voting results — a key element in his administration’s extensive anti-Ukraine messaging campaign before the April 12 election.
Adding to the diplomatic tensions, Hungary temporarily held seven Ukrainian state bank workers Thursday and confiscated two Ukrainian armored vehicles transporting millions of euros in cash and gold through Hungary on suspected money laundering charges.
Ukraine has maintained the cash transport was routine banking business and firmly rejected the money laundering accusations.