RTWed, 09 Mar 2022 12:33 UTC
© Bertrand Guay/AFP/KJNHungary's Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto
Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto has said that Hungary opposes sanctions on Russia's energy sector, as Western countries hit Moscow with sweeping restrictions over its attack on Ukraine.
Szijjarto told reporters during his trip to Serbia on Wednesday:
"The reality stems from infrastructure and available natural gas resources. Natural gas and oil from Russia are currently dominant in our region. That's why we can't accept measures imposing a disproportionate burden on Hungary, the Hungarian people."
Prime Minister Viktor Orban made a similar point on Tuesday:
"Everyone in Europe suffers from the effect of sanctions against Moscow. I made it clear that we condemn Russia's attack, we condemn the war, but we'll not allow the price of war to be paid by Hungarian families. Without any gas and oil, the Hungarian economy simply can't function."
The PM noted that the country gets most of its gas and oil from Russia, while 90% of Hungarian families use gas to heat their homes.
On Tuesday, the EU rolled out a plan to make Europe independent from Russian energy "well before 2030."
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said that the EU "simply cannot rely on a supplier who explicitly threatens us."
Russia attacked its western neighbor late last month, arguing it was defending the Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics, which broke away from Ukraine shortly after the 2014 coup in Kiev. Moscow further said it wanted Ukraine to officially declare itself a neutral country, renouncing its bid to one day join NATO.
Kiev said the attack was entirely unprovoked and appealed for the international community for help. Ukraine also denied claims that it was planning to retake the rebellious republics by force.
Comment: Turkey gives the West
a stern warning:
Washington's decision to cut off oil exports from Russia will have disastrous consequences for the global energy market, Turkey's Deputy Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Alparslan Bayraktar said on Tuesday during CERAWeek, an international energy conference in Houston, Texas. The Turkish official stated:
"It will be very difficult to replace the Russian oil on the world market. Russia is the largest oil producer in the world."
According to Bayraktar, with the global economy is recovering from the recession caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, an increase oil production is needed, the opposite of what the US is trying to do, at present.
Earlier on Tuesday, in a bid to "target the main artery of Russia's economy," US President Joe Biden signed an order banning oil and gas imports from the world's largest nation in retaliation for Moscow's military attack on Ukraine.
"We're banning all imports of Russian oil and gas and energy. That means Russian oil will no longer be acceptable at US ports, and the American people will deal another powerful blow to Putin's war machine."
Staggering inflation and supply-chain disruptions have already made gas prices in the US skyrocket, approaching a record-high $5 per gallon. The newly introduced ban on Russian petroleum products, which amount to 8% of all US oil imports, will likely make the prices climb even higher.
Later the same day, when reporters asked Biden what Americans should do about the rising costs, he responded:
"What can you do about it? Can't do much right now. Russia is responsible. "We're moving forward with this ban understanding that many of our European allies and partners may not be in a position to join us."
Meanwhile, the European Union has no plans to cut off Russia's oil exports as it amounts to one-third of the EU's energy consumption.
Who pays for Biden's angry, half-baked, edicts? Everyday Americans at the pump and now Europe, as the rising cost of US belligerence affects every citizen.
Comment: Turkey gives the West a stern warning: Who pays for Biden's angry, half-baked, edicts? Everyday Americans at the pump and now Europe, as the rising cost of US belligerence affects every citizen.