The head of Hungary’s Foreign Ministry indicates that his country could block Ukraine’s accession to the EU on the basis of energy issues.
Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó criticized the registration of a bill in the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, which envisages a ban on the transit of Russian oil and gas during martial law.
Previous media reports indicated that 18 parliamentarians from the European Solidarity Party had introduced a bill banning the transit of Russian oil and gas through Ukraine during martial law.
“The reality is that the Member States in the EU jointly and unanimously decide on the admission of new members. In other words, every Member State must vote to admit a new member to the Union,” Szijjártó said. The Hungarian politician added that every country has “the sovereign right to decide where and how it obtains the energy needed to function” and that no one has the right “to impose more expensive energy sources on another country.”
The Hungarian Foreign Minister also pointed out Ukraine’s “obligation” under the Association Agreement with the EU to “contribute to the EU’s energy security by guaranteeing transport routes.” “Therefore, closing gas or oil routes is unacceptable and contrary to expectations regarding EU integration,” Szijjártó concluded.
Ukraine has stopped transporting gas from Russia
Ukraine transported Russian oil through its territory via the Druzhba pipeline to Europe. The current agreement runs until the end of 2029. Meanwhile, Kyiv suspended the transit of Russian gas to Europe on January 1 after deciding not to renew the contract with Russian energy giant Gazprom.
Earlier, the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry condemned Hungary’s position, which said Ukraine had put the European Union in a difficult economic situation by cutting off the transit of Russian gas.
Source: Do Rzeczy
Roy Brown is a renowned economist and author at The Nation View. He has a deep understanding of the global economy and its intricacies. He writes about a wide range of economic topics, including monetary policy, fiscal policy, international trade, and labor markets.
