Patrick Seeger / EPA
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán
The Hungarian Prime Minister is threatening to veto continued sanctions on Russia if Ukraine does not reopen gas pipelines. However, Zelenskyy refuses and offers Azerbaijani gas as an alternative.
Hungary postponed the renewal of European Union sanctions against Russia on Friday, demanding that the Ukraine reopens gas pipelines to allow Russian gas to enter Europe.
Prime Minister Viktor Orbán criticized the impact of sanctions on Hungary, stating that “Hungary cannot be forced to pay the price of sanctions in such proportions”.
The EU sanctions package, which targets trade with Russia and freezes around €200 billion of sovereign assets, requires unanimous approval of the 27 Member States to be renewed every six months.
Officials met in Brussels to address Hungary’s objections, with Orbán emphasizing his opposition to Ukraine’s refusal to renew a gas transit deal with Moscow. The end of the agreement raised concerns in Hungary and Slovakia regarding the rising energy costs and security.
Orbán’s position marks a change of strategy. He previously argued that the EU should wait for former US President Donald Trump’s stance on sanctions against Russia. However, after Trump unexpectedly expressed support for tougher sanctions against Russia this week, Orbán redirected his focus to Ukraine, accusing it of interfering with energy supplies to Hungary.
Despite Hungary’s objections, EU diplomats believe Orbán will eventually approve the renewal of sanctions. Discussions are expected to continue on Monday when foreign ministers meet in Brussels, with the deadline for a deal approaching next Friday.
“Hungary is acting in a very transactional way,” an EU diplomat told , noting that Budapest has not yet made concrete demands. Another envoy speculated that Hungary’s late response may be a sign of availability to negotiate and not a definitive veto.
Zelenskyy wants to send Azerbaijani gas
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced this Saturday that Ukraine is ready to use its infrastructure to transport gas from Azerbaijan to Europe, highlighting the exclusion of Russian gas from this initiative.
Speaking after recent talks with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, Zelenskyy noted Azerbaijan’s significant export capacity, 25 billion cubic meters per yearwhich represents a potential solution to Europe’s energy needs, given the interruption of Russian supplies.
The comments come following threats from Hungary. “We will not let the Russians profit,” said Zelenskyy, who indicated Ukraine’s readiness to act quickly if European countries express interest in Azerbaijani gas.
However, analysts remain skeptical about Azerbaijan’s ability to supply substantial volumes of gas to Europe through Ukraine. Aura Sabadus, gas market expert at ICIS, highlighted that Azerbaijan could not having the necessary production capacity and may resort to volume exchange agreements involving Russian gas rebranded as Azerbaijani, reports .
This development follows the expiration of a key transit agreement at the end of 2024, which allowed Russia to export gas to Europe through Ukrainian pipelines. Although some countries, such as Hungary and Slovakia, have benefited from this route through import duties, Zelenskyy has firmly rejected the extension of the pact, accusing Russia of having exploited the agreement to obtain financial gains during the war.
Despite the energy tensions, Zelenskyy assured journalists that US military aid to Ukraine remains intact, even with a temporary pause in the provision of foreign aid ordered by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio. “Military aid was not interrupted, thank God,” he said.
