Hungary wants the EU to intervene in a gas dispute with Ukraine

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BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP) — Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán on Friday said he wants the European Union to intervene in a gas dispute his country has with Ukraine, a potential sign of friction in the bloc's upcoming discussions over renewing sanctions against Russia.

Speaking on state radio, Orbán said that Ukraine's decision to cease transiting Russian gas into Central Europe through the Brotherhood pipeline had forced Hungary to turn to alternative routes, which raised energy prices.

Meanwhile, he claimed EU sanctions against Russia for its war in Ukraine had cost Hungary 19 billion euros ($20 billion) since the start of the full-scale invasion in February 2022. He did not cite how that sum was calculated.

“It’s no good that we pay for the economic consequences of sanctions to help Ukraine while they turn around and mess with us,” he said of Kyiv's decision to allow a prewar transit deal with Russia to expire at the end of 2024.

Natural gas prices did spike at the beginning of the year following the expiration of Ukraine's transit contract with Russia, though an increase in liquefied natural gas shipments to Europe has kept prices fluctuating.

As the EU prepares to renew sanctions on Moscow in the coming week — which requires unanimity among all the 27-member bloc’s leaders — Hungary has signaled it may use a veto to block the penalties.

Orbán, considered to have the closest relationship with the Kremlin of any other EU leader, has long been a vocal opponent of EU sanctions against Moscow, though he has ultimately always voted for them.

But following the inauguration of U.S. President Donald Trump last week, Orbán has publicly demanded an end to sanctions, raising the possibility that he would veto the newest round which must be decided by Jan. 31.

“The question of extending the sanctions is now on the agenda, and I pulled the handbrake and asked European leaders to understand that this cannot be continued," he said Friday. “It is not possible that Hungary will pay the price of the sanctions in this proportion.”

“I told my (EU) colleagues to please understand that we are asking for help," he continued. "We ask that they be able to get the Ukrainians to restore the gas pipeline.”

He also said he wanted guarantees that Ukraine would not stop transiting Russian oil into Hungary, which he said would pose a “serious risk” to the country.