Hungary disagrees with the European Union's plan to impose an embargo on russian oil imports in its current form, as it "contradicts Hungary's national energy security."
"The proposal on behalf of Brussels stipulates that this should be done by the end of next year. The shortest period - we were well aware of it, our oil companies clearly imagined it - three or five years, - said Zoltan Kovacs, a spokesman for Prime Minister Viktor Orban. "The very essence of decision-making in Europe is consensus ... We claim, and we say to Brussels and all European countries, that it simply is not possible to do on behalf of Hungary, the way they require".
According to him, Hungary has not yet received much help on behalf of the European Union, and since the country has no access to the sea, it "inherited a one-sided dependence on russia after the fall of communism".
Zoltan Kovacs also strongly denied that Vladimir Putin had warned Viktor Orban about the invasion of Ukraine.
"Hungary has been receiving information and intelligence at the same pace and at the same time as other NATO allies," he said.
The European Union is proposing to ban all oil imports from russia by the end of the year.