Hungary and Slovakia challenge EU's plan to phase out Russian energy imports
In a high-stakes meeting of EU energy ministers, Hungary and Slovakia threw a wrench into the European Commission's (EC) plan to phase out Russian oil, gas, and nuclear fuel. Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó announced this development during a press briefing streamed live on Facebook.
Szijjártó dubbed the proposed strategy the "von der Leyen–Zelensky plan," emphasizing that it jeopardizes Hungary's energy supply. He warned it could halt electricity exports to Ukraine, which receives about 40% of its power from Hungary. The Hungarian official argued that the plan might also devastate the economies of Central European countries.
EC president Ursula von der Leyen put forward a "roadmap" to end Russian energy imports to the EU by 2027. Despite the clear timeline, Belgium and France have rejected the plan, according to Politico, due to insufficient details on the economic and legal ramifications.
The Financial Times reported that the European Commission is set to propose a ban on Russian gas imports under trade law, expected to be announced on Tuesday, June 17. The proposal seeks an immediate stop to the contracting of new Russian gas deals, requiring companies to provide customs officials with comprehensive details of gas contracts to confirm the absence of Russian gas.
However, Hungary and Slovakia are poised for exception under the plan, with allowances for a gradual cessation of Russian gas contracts until 2027, and a halt to short-term contracts by 2026. An FT diplomatic source cited the importing countries’ concerns over legal challenges, including the potential need to compensate Russia for breached contracts.