Hungary challenges EU’s move to ban Russian energy

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has emphatically called for the European Union’s proposed ban on Russian energy imports to be halted, emphasizing the need to oppose the measure.

The European Commission is set to introduce legislative proposals next month aimed at phasing out all imports of Russian natural gas and liquefied natural gas by the end of 2027, a plan unveiled earlier this May. However, member states Slovakia and Hungary—both heavily dependent on Russian oil and gas—have voiced strong opposition to the prospective embargo, Caliber.Az reports, citing foreign media.

“We have to try to stop this Ukrainian push to completely ban Russian gas from Europe. We must prevent it by all means,” Orbán stated unequivocally. “Because there is no point in having a pipeline if we are not allowed to bring any gas through it.”

Orbán further indicated that Hungary would be amenable to negotiations, contingent on the EU providing financial compensation to offset the economic burden associated with compliance.

Both Hungary and Slovakia continue to rely on Russian energy supplies and have been at odds with Kyiv over Ukraine’s intention to cease transit of Russian gas through its territory by the end of 2024.

While the EU has already enacted sanctions targeting the majority of Russian oil imports, it has yet to implement a similar ban on gas imports, largely due to the resistance from Budapest and Bratislava, which maintain close energy ties with Moscow.

The European Commission’s forthcoming proposal will only require a qualified majority in the European Parliament, thereby preventing Hungary and Slovakia from unilaterally blocking the initiative. Nonetheless, their staunch opposition could impede or complicate the legislative process.

Hungary sources most of its natural gas via the TurkStream pipeline, which runs beneath the Black Sea to Turkey before continuing into Southeast Europe. In the first quarter of 2025, volumes transported through the European segment of TurkStream increased by 16 per cent year-on-year, reaching approximately 4.5 billion cubic metres, driven by rising demand in both Hungary and Slovakia.

By Vafa Guliyeva