EU facing mass revolt as several members blow top over Hungary’s Russia concessions

Russian oil ban not enough to stop them funding war says expert

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The Commission has drawn the ire of several EU nations over its plan to send funding to Hungary to help to convince President Viktor Orban to cooperate over EU sanctions on Russian oil. The officials are reportedly considering offering financial compensation to Mr Orban as Hungary refused to sign on to the bloc’s plan to sanction Russian oil. The Hungarian leader has described a complete oil ban as a “nuclear bomb” and has so far thwarted EU plans by demanding more time to phase out imports.

Without the support of all 27 member states, the bloc cannot move forward.

Mr Orban said that while his government is willing to negotiate on any EU proposals that are in Hungary’s interests, the country’s geography and existing energy infrastructure make a shutdown of Russian oil unfeasible.

Hungary, being completely landlocked, is heavily dependent on Russian energy, accounting for 85 percent of its natural gas and more than 60 percent of its oil.

The Commission is now facing backlash for its plan to help Hungary ditch Russian gas faster with financial support, as senior diplomats from different countries raised concerns during a meeting in Brussels on Wednesday.

Ms von der Leyen has been scrambling to impose the sixth round of sanctions on Russia for its invasion of Ukraine, this time looking to target Russia’s oil exports.

The bloc will not issue an immediate ban on Russian oil, according to sources, but rather will form a plan to phase out oil imports from Moscow by the end of the year.

Energy exports are vital to Russia’s economy, as its revenues propped up about half the country’s budget in 2021.

Experts agree that Russia’s brutal invasion has been largely bankrolled by its revenues from energy exports like oil, natural gas and coal.

Last month, all 27 EU governments agreed to block the import of Russian coal and other solid fossil fuels from August.

This move was easier to achieve because coal is the smallest of Russia’s fossil fuel exports.

In order to convince Budapest into signing onto the sanctions, the Commission plans to use the payment mechanisms that will be announced in the bloc’s upcoming energy strategy, called REPowerEU, POLITICO reports.

This strategy will be announced on May 18 and is poised to have funds available for all the EU countries to end their reliance on Russian fossil fuels well before 2030.

A senior diplomat EU diplomat said: “The more we can help Hungary with REPowerEU, the faster they can move away from Russian oil.”

Last week, an EU Commission spokesperson highlighted the “specific situation of member states and the need to cater for their specific circumstances” when drafting plans for the Russian oil sanctions.

Hungary has previously warned that if these measures would hinder Budapest’s ability to import energy, the country would be ready to veto it.

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