Hungary digs heels in over EU embargo on Russian oil

　　div classBodysc17zpet90 cdBBJodivpBy Gabriela Baczynskap

　　pBRUSSELS Reuters – The European Union‘s executive is looking to support Hungary in beefing up the eastern European state’s oil pipelines, storage and refining capacity, a spokesman said on Tuesday, as Budapest dug its heels in over a Russian oil embargo. pdivdivdiv classBodysc17zpet90 cdBBJodiv

　　pMost other EU countries support banning Russian oil under a new sixth package of sanctions designed to punish Moscow for waging war on Ukraine. Unanimity is required for such a decision, however, with Hungary the most vocal critic.p

　　pOver dinner in Budapest on Monday, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen discussed investment in upgrading Hungarian oil infrastructure, a spokesman for the latter said on Tuesday.p

　　p“What is extremely important… is that we maintain unity of the European Union when it comes to sanctions against Russia, this is a collective effort,” the spokesman, Eric Mamer, told a news conference. p

　　p“We hope the European Union can adopt the sanctions as quickly as possible.”p

　　pVon der Leyen said more work was needed to reach agreement and that she would host a discussion about regional cooperation on oil infrastructure. p

　　pMamer refused to say when that call would take place, adding that preparatory technical work was going on. p

　　pFrench President Emmanuel Macron also talked to Orban, the Elysee said on Tuesday, and France‘s EU minister said separately an agreement was possible this week. Member states’ EU envoys are due to meet on the matter in Brussels on Wednesday. p

　　pWORK NEEDED p

　　pBut comments from Budapest did not suggest an imminent breakthrough, with Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto saying the leaders dinner marked “a small step forward” but that a lot more work was needed.p

　　p“The passing of this sanctions package would ruin our energy security,” he said. “It would be impossible to purchase enough oil to keep Hungary and the Hungarian economy working.”p

　　p“As long as the European Commission is not offering solutions to these problems, Hungary, obviously, cannot support this sanctions package as… an atomic bomb dropped on the Hungarian economy.”p

　　pOrban said last week Hungary needed “vast investment” to modernise the countrys energy system.p

　　pSome in EU hub Brussels made the link with the Commission, which criticises Orban for undercutting the rule of law, blocking Hungarys access to billions of euros intended to help economic recovery from the COVID19 pandemic.p

　　pThe Commission has also recently launched an unprecedented sanction, the socalled conditionality mechanism, over Hungarys persistently sluggish anticorruption measures. It could cost Hungary more EU funds, an important driver of its development.p

　　p“What Viktor Orbans government is clearly looking for is extra money, a slowwalk on the conditionality mechanism, or both,” said thinktank Eurointelligence. p

　　pOthers worried Orban – who has cultivated close personal ties with Russian President Vladimir Putin – was seeking to ingratiate himself with Moscow and could drag the discussion out to the next summit of EU national leaders due on May 30.p

　　p“That would already be a win for Orban,” said one EU diplomat, unhappy about the disagreement exposing divisions within the bloc and providing fuel to those criticising it for inefficiency. p

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　　pp Additional reporting by Anita Komuves, Writing by Gabriela Baczynska, editing by Ed Osmondp

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