
Brussels Won’t Budge—Even if Hungary Can’t Keep the Lights On
EU lawmakers are pushing a no-exemptions Russian energy ban, despite warnings that Hungary’s backup pipeline can’t meet the country’s needs.

EU lawmakers are pushing a no-exemptions Russian energy ban, despite warnings that Hungary’s backup pipeline can’t meet the country’s needs.

The plan to phase out Russian gas completely is dividing Europe.

Since the outbreak of the war, EU countries have purchased Russian fossil fuels worth €21.9 billion, more than the aid allocated to Ukraine.

The Slovak prime minister said he agrees with Viktor Orbán that the only solution to external attacks is national sovereignty.

“The war in Ukraine has deformed freedom of speech in the EU,” the Slovakian PM said.

Nationalist prime minister Robert Fico called Brussels’ plans to phase out Russian gas “idiotic.”

Slovakia’s government says EU promises fall far short of real energy guarantees.

“We want guarantees that this problem will not remain only on Slovakia’s back,” PM Fico said ahead of Tuesday’s key meeting.

The two landlocked countries seek to use their veto as leverage to gain opt-outs from the separate Russian energy ban.
The Commission is seeking to by-pass a likely veto from Hungary and Slovakia