Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said Friday, November 14, that his government will sue the European Union over its decision to phase out imports of Russian gas. Hungarian authorities had already considered such a move last month, Euractiv reports.
“We do not accept this clearly unlawful decision, which runs counter to European values and was taken by Brussels to force a national government that disagrees with it to comply. We are turning to the European Court,” Orban said.
“This is no longer a sanction, but a trade policy measure. And sanctions require unanimity (in EU votes), whereas trade policy can be decided by a majority,” he continued, commenting on the EU decision.
Hungary’s nationalist prime minister added that he is also “looking for other, non-legal” means to convince Brussels, but declined to provide details.
Orban claimed that the US sanctions waiver he secured last week at a meeting with his “dear friend” and ideological ally, US President Donald Trump, could last more than a year.
The Trump administration in October imposed sanctions on two of Russia’s largest oil companies, losing patience with Russian dictator Vladimir Putin as he continues the war against Ukraine.
US officials, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, said Budapest was granted a one-year temporary waiver, but Orban insisted the exemption would remain “for as long as Donald Trump is President of the United States and there is a national government in Hungary.”
“This is a personal agreement between two leaders. Bureaucrats write whatever they want, but it doesn’t matter,” Orban said.
Last month, EU countries agreed to phase out imports of Russian gas by the end of 2027. According to diplomats, all member states except Hungary and Slovakia backed the decision.
Budapest, the Kremlin’s closest ally in the EU, still relies heavily on imports of Russian energy despite Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Hungary has previously used its veto power to secure exemptions from EU sanctions on Russian energy. Orban frequently clashes with Brussels. Hungary has refused to provide military aid to Ukraine and opposes Kyiv’s bid to join the EU, arguing it would drag Budapest into the war.
