Hungary blocks European embargo on Russian oil

While the European embargo on Russian oil was supposed to put pressure on the Kremlin, Viktor Orban’s Hungary opposes it. “We made it clear from the start that there was a red line we could not cross: the energy embargo“, he explained. Phuc-Vinh Nguyen, specialist in European energy policies at the Jacques Delors Institute, explains that “other countries are also reluctant. We can think of Slovakia or the Czech Republic, which we will have to convince during this weekend to be able to succeed in preserving European unity.“.

The unanimity of the Member States is moreover required to impose such sanctions. “Presumably, there are two postures. The one adopted by Viktor Orban in the media and then, behind the scenes, with the negotiators, we realize that Hungary is all the same a little more open to the idea of ​​an embargo and could be tempted to change its position if he could be guaranteed certain measures. We are thinking in particular of a slightly longer latency time“, continues the researcher.