Page 5 - aruba-today-20220504

A5
WORLD NEWS Wednesday 4 May 2022
Slovakia, Hungary won’t back EU sanctions on Russian energy

By K. JANICEK, J. SPIKE and year. LNG that arrives by
D. GATOPOULOS ship is becoming increas-
Associated Press ingly important as EU coun-
BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP) — tries look to move away
Slovakia and Hungary said from Russian supplies. Rus-
Tuesday that they will not sia last week cut off natural
support sanctions against gas to Bulgaria and Poland
Russian energy that the over a demand to guaran-
European Union is prepar- tee payment in rubles, in
ing over the war in Ukraine, an escalating dispute trig-
saying they are too reliant gered by the invasion of
on those supplies and there Ukraine.
are no immediate alterna- “This is why this new LNG
tives. terminal is so timely and so
The EU’s executive branch, important. It’s a geopoliti-
the European Commission, cal investment and this is a
has drafted new proposals geopolitical moment,” Mi-
for sanctions, which could chel said.
include a phased-in em- “It reflects what we need
bargo on Russian oil. The 27 to do more of, because it
member countries are like- Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto attends a press conference after talks with his Serbian will provide security of sup-
ly to start discussing them counterpart Nikola Selakovic, in Belgrade, Serbia, Monday, Feb. 7, 2022. ply to Greece, to Bulgaria,
Wednesday, but it could Associated Press North Macedonia, Serbia
be several days before the physically impossible for North Macedonia and androupolis. An LNG import and other countries in the
measures take effect. Hungary and its economy non-NATO member Serbia terminal near the port city is region. And this is extremely
EU foreign policy chief Jo- to function without Rus- at the Greek port of Alex- due to start operation next important.” q
sep Borrell tweeted that sian oil.” Hungarian Prime
the commission wants to hit Minister Viktor Orban has
more banks, target those developed a reputation as
accused of spreading dis- Putin’s closest ally in the EU
information about the war, and pursued deep diplo-
and “tackle oil imports.” matic and economic ties
It’s not clear whether Slo- with Moscow. Orban has
vakia and Hungary would deepened dependence
receive exemptions. on Russian fossil fuels, not-
Slovak Economy Minister ing that 85% of Hungary’s
Richard Sulik said the coun- gas and more than 60% of
try’s sole refiner, Slovnaft, its oil comes from Russia.
cannot immediately switch Despite disagreement
from Russian crude to an- among EU members on
other kind of oil. Changing new energy sanctions, Eu-
the technology would take ropean Council President
several years, Sulik said. Charles Michel vowed to
“So, we will insist on the ex- “break the Russian war ma-
emption, for sure,” Sulik told chine” by steering coun-
reporters. Slovakia is almost tries on the continent away
fully dependent on Russian from Russia’s natural gas
oil it receives through the supplies.
Soviet-era Druzhba pipe- The bloc is racing to secure
line. Hungary is also heavily alternative supplies to Rus-
reliant, though Germany, sian energy, placing prior-
another major energy im- ity on global LNG imports
porter, said it could cope if from countries that include
the EU banned Russian oil, major producers like Alge-
with officials still noting that ria, Qatar and the United
“it is a heavy load to bear.” States.
Hungarian Foreign Minis- That includes liquefied
ter Peter Szijjarto said the natural gas facilities being
country will not vote for any built in northern Greece,
sanctions “that will make which Michel and the lead-
the transport of natural gas ers of four Balkan countries
or oil from Russia to Hunga- toured Tuesday.
ry impossible.” “We are also sanction-
“The point is simple, that ing Russia to put financial,
Hungary’s energy supply economic and political
cannot be endangered pressure on the Kremlin be-
because no one can ex- cause our goal is simple:
pect us to allow the price We must break the Russian
of the war (in Ukraine) to war machine,” Michel said.
be paid by Hungarians,” He met Greek Prime Minis-
Szijjarto said Tuesday in ter Kyriakos Mitsotakis and
Kazakhstan. “It is currently the leaders of Bulgaria,