BUDAPEST, June 17 (Xinhua) -- Hungary's Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Peter Szijjarto on Tuesday strongly criticized a European Union's (EU) legislative proposal to phase out Russian natural gas and oil imports.
Speaking in Budapest, Szijjarto said the proposal poses a threat to Hungary's energy security and its utility cost reduction measures. He vowed that the government would resist the measure by all available means.
The Hungarian minister warned that, if adopted, the proposal would force Hungarian households to pay twice as much for electricity and more than three times as much for gas.
According to Szijjarto, the proposed regulation would ban short-term gas contracts with Russia starting in early 2026 and prohibit long-term agreements from 2028. Crude oil imports from Russia would also be phased out by 2028.
He cautioned that both of Hungary's two oil pipelines could be shut down under the plan and that 26 billion cubic meters of gas import capacity would be lost.
"They're shutting down the two largest natural gas supply routes, and then they claim it's all about reducing dependence and improving energy security," he said.
Szijjarto added that while the proposal includes no restrictions on nuclear fuel imports, this is likely due to the deep integration between Western European and Russian nuclear industries.
He also emphasized that the proposal violates the EU's founding treaties, which guarantee member states sovereignty over their energy mix.
"Hungary will fight this Brussels proposal as long as necessary to protect Hungarian families and preserve national energy security," he said. ■