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Ukraine “Willing to Take Hungary’s Place” in the EU Amid Heated Gas Debate
L-R: Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha with his Hungarian counterpart Péter Szijjártó
The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry made a commentary to news portal European Pravda, saying that “manipulative statements” by Hungary that Ukraine has put the European Union in a difficult economic situation by cutting off Russian gas transit are part of a politically motivated information campaign aimed at domestic consumption. According to Kiev, the only cause of problems on the European energy market has always been Russia.
“For decades, the Kremlin has used energy as a weapon, blackmailing European governments and undermining energy security”, they said. The Ministry also referred to the European Commission’s communication of 1 January 2025, in which the body clearly stated that Ukraine’s pre-announced decision had no negative impact on the energy security of EU countries and on consumer prices on the European market.
Latest manipulative statements from the leadership of Hungary regarding Ukraine’s decision not to extend the transit agreement with the aggressor state, Russia allegedly having a negative impact on consumer prices, are part of a politically motivated information campaign pic.twitter.com/I6i76ezqsU
— MFA of Ukraine (@MFA_Ukraine) January 8, 2025
The Ministry also stressed that
the European Commission and European governments are successfully working together to diversify supply sources and increase energy independence, and that all European countries have found ways to supply their economies and populations with alternative energy sources from the United States and the Middle East.
The Ukrainian department states that only two of the 27 EU countries have failed to do so and are now trying to blame others for the problem. According to them, this behavior is in fact an obstacle to the access of the US and other partners to the European energy market.
However, the Ukrainian statements are contradicted by a December report of the Center for the Study of Democracy, which concluded: “Western energy sanctions against Russia are failing. Although Russian fossil fuel exports to the West have decreased, glaring loopholes in the sanctions’ regime persist.” Nowhere are the failings more prominent than with liquified natural gas (LNG). In 2024, the EU imported a record 16.5 million metric tons of LNG from Russia, surpassing the 15.2 million in 2023.
Furthermore, in 2024, only Slovakia paid more fossil fuel money into Russian accounts than France, followed by Hungary, Austria and Spain, Foreign Policy reports. Hence the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry’s claims cannot be corroborated. Yet they continued by saying in a rather condescending tone that “if the priority of the Hungarian side is to strengthen Russia rather than the EU and the United States, then it must honestly admit this”.
Ukraine is ready to take the vacant place in the EU and NATO if Hungary decides to give it up and join the Commonwealth of Independent States or the Collective Security Treaty Organization instead”,
the Ministry noted.
Reacting to the Ukrainian side’s statements, the Hungarian Foreign Minister wrote on his Facebook page that the closure of both natural gas and oil transport routes is unacceptable and contrary to the expectations of EU integration. Péter Szijjártó pointed out that Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry reacted “quite aggressively” to Tuesday’s news about rising natural gas prices due to the shutdown of Ukrainian gas transit. Furthermore, on Wednesday, a bill was registered on the Ukrainian parliament’s website to close natural gas and oil transport routes from Russia during a state of war.
In this regard, we must respectfully remind our Ukrainian colleagues that there is reality, there are rights and obligations,”
the Minister emphasized, concerning Ukraine’s wish to become an EU Member State.
Péter Szijjártó pointed out that EU countries will decide unanimously and jointly on the admission of new members. In other words, each member state needs to vote in favor, he added. It is the sovereign right of each country to decide from where and by which route they buy the energy sources that they needs to in order to function. No one from outside has a say in this, no one has the right to impose more expensive, more uncertain energy purchases on other countries, he pointed out.
Among the obligations, the Minister reminded, a country that concludes an association agreement with the EU, or even wants to become a member of the EU, has to contribute to the EU’s energy security by providing transport routes.
Therefore, the closure of either natural gas or oil transport routes is unacceptable and contrary to the expectations linked to EU integration, he concluded.
Via MTI, Featured photo via MTI/Hegedüs Róbert
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