Hungary secures Russian gas supply through Balkans alliance
Even if Ukraine cuts off Russian gas supplies, we will still import it through the southern corridor with the help of Romania and Bulgaria, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said at a press conference on Saturday.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced on Thursday that he will not agree to the transit of Russian gas; the agreement on this matter expires at the end of the year. He added that Kyiv may consider transit if Russia receives money only after the war ends.
Orban stated on Saturday that even in the event of a supply cut by Ukraine, Hungary will import Russian gas with the help of Bulgaria and Romania.
He explained that the Bulgarian government guaranteed the supply of resources to Hungary when last year Sofia planned to introduce additional fees for transit through its territory. Budapest then threatened to block Bulgaria's entry into the Schengen zone.
Bulgaria is a key country for Hungary, especially since the beginning of the war in Ukraine, as it provides the only reliable way to supply essential energy resources to Hungary, Orban said during an official visit to Sofia on Friday.
In December, the EU Council decided on the full inclusion of Bulgaria and Romania into the Schengen zone from the beginning of next year. On Saturday, Orban presented this as a success of the Hungarian presidency, announcing that the number of border crossings with Romania will increase from 12 to 22.
The only such country in the EU
Hungary is the only European Union member that did not limit gas imports from Russia after the start of the war in Ukraine — it currently accounts for over 80 percent of the resources imported there.
In September 2021, the Orban government signed a 15-year contract with Gazprom for the supply of 159 billion cubic feet of gas per year. In October, the Hungarian Foreign Minister, Peter Szijjarto, reported that his country will import as much as 237 billion cubic feet of Russian gas in 2024, while also announcing the signing of a memorandum allowing for increased resource imports.
