Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban welcomes the EU’s compromise in the dispute over the oil embargo against Russia. “Families can rest easy tonight, we have rejected the most outrageous idea,” Orban said in a Facebook video message on Tuesday. “We have reached an agreement that states that countries that receive oil through pipelines can continue to operate their economies under the previous conditions,” he emphasized.
A total ban on Russian oil imports would have been “unacceptable” for Hungary and “like an atomic bomb,” Orban said. “But we managed to prevent that.” On Monday evening, EU heads of state and government agreed on a far-reaching embargo on Russian oil imports at their special summit in Brussels after a long period of resistance from Hungary. more than two-thirds of Russia’s oil imports by the end of the year, said EU Council President Charles Michel.
Ship imports are halted, oil flows in pipelines
According to information from the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, the compromise specifically provides to prevent only Russian imports by ship for the time being. Pipeline deliveries should therefore remain permitted for the time being. Hungary in particular had asked for this. The country covers about two-thirds of its oil needs through Russia’s Druzhba pipeline.
At a press conference after the first day of the summit, Michel and von der Leyen expressed their relief at the deal. “It took us a few weeks to come to this decision and there is speculation that we lack unity,” Michel admitted. “We need political leadership in these extraordinary times.” With the embargo decision, Russia loses a “huge source of funding for its war machine”.
According to experts’ calculations, EU countries spend hundreds of millions of euros on Russian oil every day. They put “maximum pressure” on the country to “end the war”.
Michel defends compromise: protect landlocked countries
Michel said the political agreement must already be put into legal form by the EU ambassadors on Thursday. He also defended the oil pipeline exemption. It is about protecting the interests of landlocked countries like Hungary.
Nehammer with understanding for Hungary
Chancellor Karl Nehammer (ÖVP) had expressed understanding in the dispute over the EU embargo on Hungary. The fact that Hungary demanded compensation: “Austria supports this path,” Nehammer said before a special EU summit. He was confident that a solution would be found at the meeting, while at the same time blaming the European Commission for the heated debate over the oil embargo.
“I am very surprised at the way the European Commission has chosen to prepare this difficult issue for the Council,” Nehammer criticized the Brussels authority. Normally one negotiates with the interlocutors before announcing a result, this time the European Commission chose a different path.
Source: Krone
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
