About 'Oil Sanctions on Russia'; Veto Move from Hungary

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban took action against the Russian sanctions of the European Union (EU) Commission. He wrote a letter to the President of the European Council, Charles Michel, in order not to include the 6th package of sanctions against Russia on the agenda.

According to the statement made by Bertalan Havasi, Secretary General of the Prime Ministry Press Office to the Hungarian News Agency (MTI), Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban decided to write a letter to Michel regarding the 6th package of sanctions prepared by the European Union against Russia due to the war against Ukraine. In his letter, Prime Minister Orban stated that fuel prices have increased by 55-60 percent and reached the peak of the last 40 years. Pointing out that Hungary supplied more than 90 percent of its oil needs from Russia in 2010, Orban noted that despite the steps taken by his country in the last 12 years, it still supplies 64 percent of its oil needs from Russia. Stating that the EU's proposals to ban oil imports from Russia are insufficient, Orban emphasized that the EU should give more support to the country's investments in infrastructure and technology. Orban said that his government has accepted all the sanctions proposal that the EU has brought to the table against Russia so far, but that it will not accept the new sanctions package, which is planned to be brought to the agenda at the European Council on 30-31 May.