Eng
Esp

Copyright © 2024 Euromaidanpress.com

The work of Euromaidan Press is supported by the International Renaissance Foundation

When referencing our materials, please include an active hyperlink to the Euromaidan Press material and a maximum 500-character extract of the story. To reprint anything longer, written permission must be acquired from [email protected].

Privacy and Cookie Policies.

Orban: Hungary is negotiating to preserve Russian gas transit through Ukraine

As Ukraine’s gas transit agreement nears its end, Hungary’s leader reveals talks to maintain the crucial supply route through ownership restructuring.
byMaria Tril
22/12/2024
2 minute read
Viktor Orban EU Council
Viktor Orban making his way to the EU Council in December 2018. Credit: Council of the European Union/Facebook
Orban: Hungary is negotiating to preserve Russian gas transit through Ukraine

Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orban revealed on 21 December that his country is engaged in negotiations with Russia and Ukraine to maintain gas shipments through Ukrainian territory, despite Hungary’s current reliance on the Turkstream pipeline for Russian gas imports.

The statement comes after the Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said Ukraine will stop transiting Russian gas through its territory from on 1 January 2025. According to the five-years agreement, the Ukrainian transit route has supplied gas to Slovakia, the Czech Republic, and Austria.

“We are now trying the trick … that what if the gas, by the time it enters the territory of Ukraine, would no longer be Russian but would be already in the ownership of the buyers,” Orban said during a briefing. “So the gas that enters Ukraine would no longer be Russian gas but it would be Hungarian gas.”

Orban said that Hungary imported approximately 7.5 billion cubic metres of Russian gas via Turkstream this year, with additional volumes coming through Romania. He also noted domestic gas production of 1-1.5 billion cubic metres.

The situation has raised concerns in neighboring countries. Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico warned of a potential gas crisis due to Ukraine’s continued rejection of extending gas transit through its territory amid the ongoing war.

Kyiv has previously reported that it would rule out extending the transit agreement with Gazprom, Russian state gas company, but noted that Ukraine would not mind transporting gas through its gas transportation system if it did not come from Russia.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has previously confirmed that Ukraine is not considering renewing the agreement with Gazprom on the transit of Russian gas to Europe. Zelenskyy also made it clear that Kyiv would not agree to pump Russian gas under the guise of Azerbaijani gas.

Read also:

You could close this page. Or you could join our community and help us produce more materials like this.  We keep our reporting open and accessible to everyone because we believe in the power of free information. This is why our small, cost-effective team depends on the support of readers like you to bring deliver timely news, quality analysis, and on-the-ground reports about Russia's war against Ukraine and Ukraine's struggle to build a democratic society. A little bit goes a long way: for as little as the cost of one cup of coffee a month, you can help build bridges between Ukraine and the rest of the world, plus become a co-creator and vote for topics we should cover next. Become a patron or see other ways to support. Become a Patron!

To suggest a correction or clarification, write to us here

You can also highlight the text and press Ctrl + Enter

Please leave your suggestions or corrections here



    Euromaidan Press

    We are an independent media outlet that relies solely on advertising revenue to sustain itself. We do not endorse or promote any products or services for financial gain. Therefore, we kindly ask for your support by disabling your ad blocker. Your assistance helps us continue providing quality content. Thank you!

    Related Posts