Estonia offers to save Hungary from EU fines if Orbán cuts Russia ties
President of Estonia Alar Karis (Photo: Getty Images)
Estonia has proposed helping Hungary avoid fines if Viktor Orbán abandons contracts with Russia, Estonian President Alar Karis said in an interview with the Finnish newspaper Ilta Sanomat.
According to President Karis, Hungary should be offered assistance in paying penalties for terminating its energy agreements with Russia.
“Perhaps we should help Hungary pay the fines,” the Estonian president emphasized.
He emphasized that some agreements between Budapest and Moscow, concluded by Prime Minister Viktor Orbán to secure cheap energy supplies, could remain in force even into the 2040s.
Karis stressed that Hungary must withdraw from these contracts with Russia, as they perpetuate energy dependence on the aggressor state and run counter to European unity in confronting Russian aggression. Orbán recently visited Moscow to agree on terms for Russian energy supplies, a move that drew criticism within the European Union.
According to experts, Estonia’s proposal is an important signal of European solidarity and a willingness to support countries seeking to move away from Russian energy resources, even when this entails financial costs. Such a step also underscores the Baltic states’ strategic role in promoting Europe’s energy independence from Moscow.
On December 3, the European Union approved final rules предусматривающие the gradual phaseout of Russian gas imports. A full embargo on gas supplies from Russia will take effect by the end of 2027, after approval by the EU Council and the European Parliament.
At the same time, in September, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán once again stated that his country would not abandon Russian gas, citing two reasons for this stance.
Moreover, Orbán recently visited Moscow to agree on the terms of Russian energy supplies, a move that drew criticism within the European Union.
Additionally, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán is reportedly exploring ways to retain control over the country regardless of the outcome of the parliamentary elections scheduled for April 2026. He is considering the idea of assuming the presidency and rewriting laws to make that position the most powerful in the country.
