Hungary wants access to Odesa port to reduce Russian oil reliance
Hungary plans to gain access to a pipeline from the Odesa port to diversify its oil supplies and reduce reliance on Russian oil, Bloomberg reports.
Szabolcs Pal Szabo, Senior Vice President of the Hungarian energy company Mol, said Mol is seeking access to the Odesa–Brody pipeline, which runs from Ukraine’s Black Sea port of Odesa to the Polish border. This would allow Hungary to secure deliveries from a variety of global oil suppliers.
Photo: Hungary wants access to the pipeline from Odesa (bloomberg.com)
It is expected that supplies could go to Hungary through the southern section of the Druzhba pipeline, which currently transports Russian oil to the country and connects to the Odesa pipeline near the Ukrainian-Polish border.
"The Odesa pipeline would mean access to all sorts of alternative crude due to the sea link. This pipeline would serve regional, EU, and Ukrainian supply security," Szabo said.
The Hungarian company wants the EU to take part in "revitalizing" the Odesa pipeline, which, Mol emphasizes, would also serve as an alternative to Russian oil for Serbia.
"If the EU is adamant that the region give up a reliable supply route, then it has a role to play in the establishment of a true alternative," Szabo noted.
Hungary’s position
Just a few weeks ago, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán called on the European Union to abandon its plan to stop importing Russian gas and oil by 2027.
He justified the proposal by pointing to the escalating conflict between Israel and Iran, which has caused a sharp spike in oil prices.
