Hungary to sue EU over plan to ban Russian gas imports
Kyiv • UNN
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán stated that his government would challenge the EU's plan to end Russian energy imports by the end of 2027. Orbán considers this plan a violation of European law and an attempt to circumvent the right of veto on sanctions.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán promised on state media that Hungary would challenge the European Union's plan to stop Russian energy imports, UNN reports with reference to Euronews.
Details
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán announced on state radio on Friday that his government would sue the European Union over the EU's decision to gradually phase out Russian gas imports.
Orbán accused the bloc of trying to circumvent his veto power over sanctions on Russian energy by instead using trade rules in its plan to gradually end all imports of Russian oil and gas by the end of 2027.
The Budapest representative believes that the relevant plan is "a violation of European law, the rule of law and European cooperation."
Hungary wants to buy nuclear fuel from the US - Szijjártó22.10.25, 17:54 • 2897 views
The conservative politician also stated that the EU's plan to abolish energy imports from Russia is "no longer a sanction, but a trade policy measure."
Sanctions require unanimity, while trade policy decisions only require a majority vote
"We are taking this matter to the European Court of Justice," Orbán said.
"This is outrageous... They will pay a very high price for this," he added.
The national-conservative leader also announced that he was exploring "other, illegal ways" to dissuade Brussels from this decision, although he did not provide details.
Reference
Hungary is believed to be heavily dependent on Russian fossil fuels. The country's government has requested exemptions from sanctions on Russian energy resources. Official Budapest has also promised to veto EU sanctions since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in early 2022.
Recall
Hungarian oil refiner Mol said it could source most of its oil from non-Russian sources. This indicates a change in tone ahead of a meeting between US President Donald Trump and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán.