MOSCOW: Hungary would suffer economically if forced to cut off Russian energy supplies, its foreign minister stated during a visit to Moscow on Wednesday.
Peter Szijjarto made these remarks at the Russian Energy Week forum while NATO defence ministers were meeting in Brussels to discuss military aid for Ukraine.
Hungary has maintained its reliance on Russian energy since the conflict in Ukraine began, drawing criticism from European Union and NATO allies.
Szijjarto told reporters that national interest remains paramount for Budapest regarding energy policy.
“We have never been let down by Russia,” he said, adding that deliveries have always arrived and contracts were consistently respected.
He questioned why Hungary should sever this reliable energy relationship given its consistent performance.
Separately, Szijjarto informed Interfax news agency that Russia has supplied approximately 3.6 million metric tons of oil to Hungary so far this year.
He confirmed Russia will export between 5 million tons and 5.5 million tons to Hungary in 2025.
Hungary plans to maintain this import level through 2026 as well.
The country has resisted European Commission plans to phase out all Russian gas and liquefied natural gas imports by 2027.
Hungary signed a 15-year agreement with Russia in 2021 to purchase 4.5 billion cubic metres of gas annually.
The nation increased purchases from Gazprom last year, importing about 7.5 billion cubic metres of Russian gas via the Turkstream pipeline.
Hungary has received more than 6 billion cubic meters of Russian gas so far this year, Szijjarto confirmed in a Facebook post.
The country also imports most of its crude oil from Russia through the Druzhba pipeline.
This pipeline runs through Belarus and Ukraine to Hungary and Slovakia.
Croatian pipeline operator JANAF additionally transports crude oil to Hungarian energy group MOL’s refineries.
Szijjarto criticised Brussels for wanting Hungary to cut one of its two pipeline sources under diversification policies.
“How can you consider having one pipeline rather than two safer,” he asked, calling the suggestion insane.
U.S. President Donald Trump stated last month he would urge Hungary to stop buying Russian oil.
This forms part of a broader push to pressure NATO allies into cutting energy ties with Moscow over the Ukraine conflict.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban previously stated that abandoning Russian energy would devastate Hungary’s economy. – Reuters
