Table of Contents
What has happened?
- After weeks of negotiations, Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orban on May 30 was able to secure decisive concessions from the European Union in its sanctions against Russian oil.
- Landlocked Hungary, along with Slovakia and the Czech Republic, will be temporarily exempt from the embargo and will be able to receive oil from Russia’s Druzhba pipeline.
- Hungary also received assurances that emergency measures would be put in place “in case of sudden interruptions of supply”,
- After Orban raised concerns about the possible risks to the Druzhba pipeline that enters Hungary through Ukraine, as reported by Reuters.
- The embargo would reach 90% after Poland and Germany, which are also connected to the pipeline, stop taking delivery of Russian oil by the end of the year.
- The remaining 10% will be temporarily exempt from sanctions so that Hungary, Slovakia and the Czech Republic, which are all connected to the southern leg of the pipeline.
Atomic bomb on Hungary
- Two-thirds of Russian oil purchased by the EU comes from tankers, a while a third by the Druzhba pipeline.
- The EU had earlier struggled to introduce an import ban on all Russian oil – crude oil coming from sea, through pipeline and refined products.
- Orban, an ally of Putin, had blocked attempts for a full embargo and said it would be tantamount to dropping an “atomic bomb” on Hungary’s economy.
- The country receives 85% of natural gas and around 65% of its oil from Russia.
Who is Viktor Orban?
- A conservative leader, Orban won his fourth consecutive term in Hungary’s elections that were held in April this year.
- He assumed office in 2010 and has been the longest serving head of the government within the EU.
- An open advocate for an “illiberal democracy”, Orban has been criticised for attacking the rights of the LGBTQ+ community, for diminishing the independence of the press, judiciary and universities, his anti-immigration policies and even corruption.
- While Orban continues to be popular among large sections of the Hungarian electorate, he has faced heavy pressure from the EU for his domestic and international policies.
- Orban’s close ties with Putin and Hungary’s refusal to sever economic ties with Russia have left the country increasingly isolated from Western powers.
Ties with Putin
- Orban has in the past been quite vocal of his relationship to President Vladimir Putin.
- In early February, Orban visited the Kremlin and during their joint press conference, he said that they have “the longest memory of the European Union and Russia’s relationship”.
- After his landslide victory in the 2022 general elections, Orban was congratulated by Putin via the Telegram messaging app.
- During his victory speech, Orban also called Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and EU bureaucrats his “opponents”.
- He stated that an “overwhelming force”, which included Zelenskyy had conspired against him during Hungary’s election, reported the BBC.
- Since his rise to power in 2010, Orban has tried to strengthen economic ties with Russia.
- According to a 2020 reports, Russia exported goods worth $2.15 billion to Hungary, with the main products being crude petroleum ($1.05 billion), petroleum gas ($536 million) and refined petroleum ($112 million).
Position on Ukraine invasion
- Orban has taken a nuanced position on the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
- While he has condemned Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, he has not levelled charges against Putin himself.
- After Russian troops invaded Ukraine, Hungary joined fellow members of the EU in imposing sanctions on Moscow,
- But has since refused to let weapons for Ukraine pass through its territory and resisted efforts to impose restrictions on Russian energy imports.
Trouble with the west
- Hungary has had a troubled relationship with Western powers over the past years.
- Even before the invasion of Ukraine, the EU criticized Orban for his avowedly “illiberal” policies and alleged corruption.
- In February, the EU withheld its Covid recovery fund for Hungary, amounting to around $8 billion, pointing to charges of
- In a video address to the summit earlier, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy chastised EU leaders for being too soft on Moscow.
- “Why are you dependent on Russia, on their pressure, and not vice-versa? Russia must be dependent on you. Why can Russia still earn almost a billion euros a day by selling energy?” Zelenskyy said.
Q) Alph River and Onyx River are located in which among the following continents?
- Australia
- Europe
- Antarctica
- Africa
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