Hungary will lose more than US$1bn over Orbán's decision to halt gas supplies to Ukraine
Ukraine's Foreign Ministry spokesman Heorhii Tykhyi has said during a press conference with journalists that Hungary will suffer economically from a decision to stop gas supplies to Ukraine and will lose more than US$1 billion.
Source: European Pravda
Details: Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has announced that Hungary will wind down gas supplies to Ukraine if the transit of Russian oil through the Druzhba pipeline is not restored.
Tykhyi said that those imports have not been stopped at the moment.
Quote: "If Prime Minister Orbán does decide to stop them, we believe the only consequence will be that Hungary's economy and the Hungarian people will be deprived of more than one billion dollars."
More details: Tykhyi said that was the amount Hungary received last year from gas exports to Ukraine.
Quote: "The only consequence will be that Viktor Orbán takes this billion dollars out of Hungarians' pockets. That is his business if he wants to do that. Ukraine currently has the necessary volumes of gas. Ukraine knows where to obtain the necessary volumes of gas even if Hungary stops supplies."
More details: Tykhyi pointed out that, unlike Hungary, Ukraine is "a diversified country that took the necessary steps in good time to ensure its energy supplies were varied".
Background:
- Before the start of the European Council meeting on 19 March, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said that Hungary will not unblock any decision favourable to Ukraine until the flow of Russian oil through the Druzhba pipeline is restored.
- Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó has claimed that Ukraine will be forced to restore supplies of Russian oil via the Druzhba pipeline because it is running short of money.
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