"Earlier this week the Ukrainians decided not to restart crude oil shipments to Hungary," Peter Szijjarto recalled in a Facebook video posted after the meeting of the Energy Security Council. "This is obvious political blackmail, with which the Ukrainians wanted to ensure a gasoline price of 1,000 forints and a supply disruption in Hungary ahead of the parliamentary election, since everyone knows that the Ukrainians want to see a pro-Ukrainian government in Budapest," Peter Szijjarto said.
He added: "However, we have thwarted the attempt to create a supply disruption. We have released part of our oil reserves and have already begun procuring replacement supplies by sea, which are already on their way. This week we decided to halt diesel fuel deliveries to Ukraine, which accounted for approximately 10 percent of Ukrainian imports. We have also decided to block the disbursement of the 90 billion euro war loan to Ukraine. We have made it clear that as long as the Ukrainians do not restart crude oil deliveries to Hungary, we will block European Union decisions that are important to them," the Foreign Minister stressed.
Peter Szijjarto stated that the 20th sanctions package had been scheduled for adoption at Monday’s meeting of foreign ministers. "We will block this decision. We will not contribute to the adoption of the 20th sanctions package, because we have made it clear: as long as the Ukrainians fail to restart crude oil deliveries to Hungary, we will not allow decisions important to them to pass."
"Therefore, at the Foreign Affairs Council meeting on Monday, Hungary will block the adoption of the 20th sanctions package, and will continue to do so until Ukraine resumes oil deliveries to Hungary," he underlined.
Peter Szijjarto also said that electricity supply issues were reviewed at the the Energy Security Council meeting. "Nearly half of Ukraine’s electricity imports come from Hungary," he said, adding that particular caution is required in this matter, as Hungarians live on the other side of the border. Halting electricity exports would primarily affect Transcarpathia and would cause serious difficulties for the families living there.
Our dispute is not with the people living in Ukraine, not with the families living in Ukraine, but with the Ukrainian state, the Ukrainian government, and President Zelensky on this issue. We do not want to cause more suffering to the Ukrainian people, so we must act extremely carefully on the issue of electricity,
said the Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade. "However, there will be a Foreign Affairs Council meeting in Brussels on Monday. Until now, the expectation was that the 20th sanctions package would be adopted at this meeting. Well, that will not be the case," Peter Szijjarto noted.
Cover photo: Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Peter Szijjarto (Photo: AFP)
Szóljon hozzá!
Jelenleg csak a hozzászólások egy kis részét látja. Hozzászóláshoz és a további kommentek megtekintéséhez lépjen be, vagy regisztráljon!