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The European Union has thus far not offered Hungary with agency ensures of its vitality safety amid an effort to section out Russian oil imports, the Hungarian authorities stated on Wednesday. The remark got here forward of a gathering of EU envoys on the choice.
The Hungarian authorities’s press workplace instructed the information outlet AFP that it didn’t “see any plan or assure on how even a transition might be managed on the premise of the present proposals, and what would assure Hungary’s vitality safety.”
In line with AFP, European Fee President Ursula von der Leyen prompt that Hungary and Slovakia, two nations closely depending on Russian oil, be given an extra transition interval to make sure a much less painful implementation of the ban.
The phase-out of Russian oil had been touted as one of many elements of the EU’s sixth spherical of sanctions in opposition to Moscow, which representatives of all 27 EU member states mentioned on Wednesday. For the brand new sanctions to come back into impact, the package deal needs to be backed unanimously.
Hungary has beforehand spoken in opposition to the proposed ban on Russian oil imports, with the nation’s Overseas Minister Peter Szijjarto emphasizing on Tuesday that “at present it’s bodily inconceivable to function Hungary or the Hungarian financial system with out Russian oil.” In line with Budapest, it receives as a lot as 65% of its oil from Russia.
Slovakia, whereas actively supporting Ukraine, together with with weapons deliveries, has additionally opposed Brussels’ plan. The nation’s Economic system Minister Richard Sulik instructed journalists on Tuesday that Slovakia’s sole refiner, Slovnaft, couldn’t exchange Russian oil with another in a single day, including that the change in know-how would take as much as a number of years. The official confirmed that Bratislava would “insist on the exemption.”
Each nations obtain Russian oil through the Soviet-era Druzhba pipeline.
On Monday, Reuters, citing unnamed EU officers, reported that the European Fee was intent on placing the ban in place by the beginning of subsequent 12 months a technique or one other. Russia exports almost half of its crude oil and petroleum merchandise to Europe, which represents a substantial supply of its income.
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