Péter Magyar stated that no Ukrainian oil storage facility will be built in Hungary as long as the Tisza government is in power

**Translation:**

**Péter Magyar stated that no Ukrainian oil storage facility will be built in Hungary as long as the Tisza government is in power.**

Unsurprisingly, the issue of the cooperation agreement signed on Sunday between MOL and Ukraine’s Naftogaz was also discussed in parliament. Prime Minister Péter Magyar stated that no Ukrainian oil storage facility would be built in Hungary as long as there is a Tisza government. MOL said the matter is not yet at a stage where it can provide substantive details.

The cooperation agreement signed Sunday between Ukrainian Naftogaz and MOL, concerning the possible storage of Ukraine’s strategic oil reserves in Hungary, was also discussed in parliament on Monday. In connection with the agreement, Péter Magyar stated that no Ukrainian oil storage facility would be built in Hungary as long as the Tisza government is in power. According to the prime minister, MOL began talks with Ukrainian Naftogaz about the possibility of storage in Hungary under the Orbán government, but the current government does not consider it acceptable that the company held talks with the Ukrainian side without the government’s consent.

According to MOL, the process is currently only at the very beginning of a preparatory phase that could take years, during which the technical, financial and regulatory conditions for storage in Hungary are being examined. Because the process is still in its early stages and is expected to be lengthy, the government was not informed.

Based on a report by the Kyiv Post, Népszava had previously reported on the possibility of storing oil in Hungary. The Ukrainian outlet reported that, as part of the cooperation between Naftogaz and MOL, storage capacity for Ukraine’s strategic oil reserves could be established in Hungary, near the Ukrainian border.

On Monday, Bence Rétvári, parliamentary group leader of the KDNP, questioned Péter Magyar over why the plan had to be learned about from the Ukrainian press. Rétvári said the Ukrainians would not build the facility in their own country because they feared it would be bombed by the Russian army. He argued that moving the storage facility to Hungary would also bring this risk across the border, creating a national security risk for Hungary, particularly for the eastern part of the country.

Magyar responded that the talks between MOL and Naftogaz had begun under the previous Orbán government. According to the prime minister, MOL negotiated with the Ukrainian side without the government’s consent, which the current government does not accept.

Magyar Péter said he had also told MOL CEO Zsolt Hernádi the previous evening that he considered the company’s conduct unacceptable and expected MOL to treat the Hungarian state as a 25% shareholder.

Magyar later reiterated this position while also arguing in favor of diversifying Hungary’s energy supplies. According to him, the more directions from which oil and natural gas can reach Hungary, including Croatia, Romania, the Balkans or Italy, the less Hungary can be pressured or blackmailed over energy issues.

János Bóka, parliamentary group leader of Fidesz, also addressed the issue, saying that building a Ukrainian oil storage facility in Hungary would likewise not serve Hungarian interests.

However, MOL’s response to Népszava described the cooperation as being at a much earlier stage than suggested by the statements made in parliament.

According to the company, the memorandum of understanding with Naftogaz is in line with international practice, under which European countries assist one another in storing strategic oil and other hydrocarbon reserves. The MOL Group currently stores quantities belonging to the strategic reserves of both EU and non-EU countries in Hungary. The company said it is currently examining the technical conditions, financial options, as well as environmental, safety and regulatory requirements.

This could be a process lasting several years. In MOL’s words, the project is still “at the very beginning”, and at this stage there was no need to involve the Hungarian government. Once substantive assessments begin, however, all necessary consultations will be held with the relevant Hungarian authorities and decision-makers.

TL; DR — As far as I can tell, Magyar is visibly “putting his foot down” on a highly specific question about oil storage, while not actually saying anything about gas storage.

Also, the article points out that there is a general fossil-fuel pooling regime between countries in the region, but doesn’t quite go so far as to say whether Tisza or Hungarians generally would accept, for example, additional Romanian oil in Hungary under the pooling agreement, while Ukraine then in turn stored more oil in Romania. (Tbf the article probably doesn’t say because no one asked Magyar and he is too smart to needlessly commit to a position he wasn’t asked about.)

Its weird because growing neo kgb russian Putler influence will not benefit Hungary. Its not secret the future is stalinesque if your let russia invade your former eastern european block.