Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has said that the European Union's new sanctions package against Russia could undermine the unity of the European Union and do more harm to Hungary than Russia.
This was reported by "Interfax-Ukraine" with reference to European media.
For example, the Financial Times explains that it has received access to a letter from Orban sent to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, in which the prime minister said he could not support the sanctions package "in its current form."
"If the European Commission insists on approving its proposal, it will be responsible for the historic failure of the European integration process," the Financial Times quoted Orban as saying.
The Hungarian Prime Minister noted that the approval of the proposed package of sanctions will require his country to make large-scale investments in alternative supplies and modernization of Hungarian refineries. He warned that the proposed measures could also lead to further increases in energy prices.
Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Siyarto also said earlier that the Hungarian government was not ready to support the sixth package of EU sanctions in the form in which it is currently proposed. Siyarto explained that the proposed restrictions, which include an embargo on Russian oil, "would be the strongest blow to Hungary's energy security."
The idea that Hungary and Slovakia will be given a year and a half to give up Russian oil, the minister considers unreasonable, because "it is a short period of time."
It will be recalled that the day before, Bulgarian Energy Minister Alexander Nikolov said that Bulgaria would ask the European Union to postpone the embargo on Russian oil. Japan also cannot give up Russian oil yet.
Earlier, European Council President Charles Michel said that all EU countries would support the sixth package of sanctions against Russia. It provides for an oil embargo on Russia.