EU chief Ursula von der Leyen lauds 'progress' made with Hungary over Russian oil embargo

As the Russia Ukraine war continues, the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, lauded the "progress" made during the discussions with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who has so far opposed Brussels' intentions for a Russian oil embargo. According to The Guardian, since Hungary is reliant on Russian oil via a single pipeline, PM Orban has always indicated that he will not support the European Commission's suggested sixth package of European Union (EU) sanctions on Russia. Further, during the meeting in Budapest, the two leaders discussed the subject. 

Taking to Twitter, the EU chief said, “This evening’s discussion with PM Viktor Orban was helpful to clarify issues related to sanctions and energy security.” She went on to add, “We made progress, but further work is needed.” 

Apart from EU chief von der Leyen, Peter Szijjarto, Hungary's foreign minister, has also asserted that the two parties have "made progress," but there was still more to talk about it. 

'Hungary will not support the European Union's plan to ban Russian oil imports'

According to media reports, earlier on May 4, Szijjarto had responded to the EU's sixth round of sanctions on Moscow, which included a restriction on Russian oil imports. Hungary will not support the European Union's plan to ban Russian oil imports, according to Szijjarto, which might damage the bloc's attempts to exert collective pressure on Russia.  

In a video posted on social media on May 4, Wednesday, Hungary's Foreign Minister claimed that the EU ban on Russian oil would completely wreck Hungary's supply of energy, making it impossible for the nation to acquire the oil needed to keep its economy running. Hungary will only support the sixth round of penalties if oil shipments were spared, Szijjarto claimed. 

Meanwhile, President Ursula von der Leyen asked EU member countries to cut down the imports of crude oil within the next six months and refined items by the end of the year as part of the sixth package of sanctions on Russia. However, Hungary, as well as Slovakia, are unlikely to approve penalties against Russian fossil fuels, creating a roadblock to a coordinated EU response, as per media reports.  

On May 3, Szijiarto claimed that Hungary and its economy could not function without Russian oil and that the country's energy supply could not be threatened due to the sanctions. He added that Hungary relies heavily on Russian crude oil for its energy needs.