Budapest argues it’s facing an energy crunch after Kyiv imposed a partial ban on Moscow’s oil transiting the country.
Hungary on Monday said it had asked the European Union to take action against Ukraine for imposing a partial ban on Russian oil exports, arguing the move was jeopardizing Budapest’s energy security.
Kyiv last month adopted sanctions blocking the transit to Central Europe of pipeline crude sold by Moscow’s largest private oil firm, Lukoil, sparking fears of supply shortages in Budapest. Hungary relies on Moscow for 70 percent of its oil imports — and on Lukoil for half that amount.
“Ukraine’s decision fundamentally threatens the security of supply in Hungary,” the country’s Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó said Monday at a meeting of EU envoys in Brussels. “This is an unacceptable step on the part of Ukraine, a country that wants to be a member of the European Union, and with a single decision puts the oil supply …. in fundamental danger.”
This is the best summary I could come up with:
BRUSSELS — Hungary on Monday said it had asked the European Union to take action against Ukraine for imposing a partial ban on Russian oil exports, arguing the move was jeopardizing Budapest’s energy security.
Kyiv last month adopted sanctions blocking the transit to Central Europe of pipeline crude sold by Moscow’s largest private oil firm, Lukoil, sparking fears of supply shortages in Budapest.
The escalating diplomatic spat comes as ties between Ukraine and Hungary hit rock-bottom, with Kyiv last week lashing out at Hungarian PM Viktor Orbán for meeting Russian President Vladimir Putin within a self-styled “peace mission.”
The ban means the country’s central Slovnaft refinery would “receive 40 percent less oil than it needs,” Fico said, arguing it would also reduce Slovak fuel exports to Ukraine that make up a 10th of Kyiv’s consumption.
Following Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine, the EU banned imports of Russian oil arriving at the bloc by sea, but allowed landlocked countries like Hungary, Slovakia and the Czech Republic to continue buying supplies via the Russia-to-Europe Druzhba pipeline until they could find an alternative solution.
But Budapest, which has angered Ukraine by holding up EU sanctions against Russia and has stalled Kyiv’s attempts to join the bloc, hasn’t tried to find other options, said Isaac Levy, an analyst at the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air think tank.
The original article contains 565 words, the summary contains 225 words. Saved 60%. I’m a bot and I’m open source!
LMAO
Use Megamind’s cranium to reflect the sun onto solar panels.
Jesus Christ what a head. It’s like an orange on a toothpick!
Hungarians call him the Cockatoo.
Come to think of it, the English translation of that is quite funny, as it is an open secret he has a gay lover that lives together with his family.
Cock-a-too. Giggle.
Hah wait, what? He’s a hyperconservative russophile authoritarian populist… closet case…? First I’ve heard it, but that’s hilarious if true.
Celebrating Christmas close together with family, wife and kids. And this one young ex-sportsman dude that’s somehow in all family pictures now (on his own social media no less).
People were quick to point out that only the wife was wearing shoes indoors, almost as if she only was a guest for the picture.
Edit: Just to be clear, I don’t care he’s apparently spending a lot of time with a dude any more than I’d care if he was spending it with a younger gal. It’s just fucked up in the context of everything.
sparking fears of supply shortages in Budapest
Nobody saw it coming…
Orban, honey, this isn’t how you are supposed to play the game.
