EU Commission reminds Hungary's Orbán of plans to quit Russian gas and oil
Photo: Viktor Orbán, Prime Minister of Hungary (Getty Images)
The European Union plans to completely stop purchasing Russian oil and gas by the end of 2027, said the European Commission’s spokesperson, Anna-Kaisa Itkonen.
She said she could not comment on the US decision to introduce sanctions exemptions for Hungary, allowing it to continue buying Russian oil.
"I want to recall that we put forward the REPower proposal this summer to gradually and effectively stop the import of oil and gas from Russia by the end of 2027," the EC representative added.
Itkonen said that as part of sanctions against Russia, the EU imposed a ban on Russian oil imports, with exceptions made for Hungary and Slovakia.
"The aim of this derogation is to ensure the security of supply of these two countries. That means that both Slovakia and Hungary can, under this derogation, import Russian oil," she clarified.
Orbán’s visit to Trump
Last week, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán visited Washington and met with US President Donald Trump.
Orbán traveled to the US after Washington imposed sanctions on Russia’s largest oil companies, Lukoil and Rosneft.
Following the talks, the Hungarian leader announced that he had secured exemptions from Trump, allowing Hungary to continue purchasing Russian oil.
During the meeting, Trump said that Hungary finds it difficult to replace Russian supplies since the country has no access to the sea.
