Orbán’s new threat: I’ll end Russia sanctions unless Ukraine pumps Putin’s gas

Hungary again delayed the renewal of the EU’s Russia sanctions on Friday, injecting a last-minute demand for Ukraine to reopen its pipelines and allow Russian gas to flow across the continent.

“Now the issue of extending sanctions is on the agenda, I have put on the handbrake and asked European leaders to understand that this cannot continue,” said Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, speaking to state broadcaster Kossuth Radio. “Hungary cannot be made to pay the price of sanctions in such proportions.”

Orbán’s comments came moments before officials met in Brussels to try and reauthorize the EU’s massive sanctions package targeting Russia, severely restricting the country’s trade and freezing almost €200 billion of its sovereign assets. All 27 EU countries must re-up the penalties every six months.

The Hungarian leader’s ire is directed at the recent end of an agreement between Moscow and Kyiv to keep cheap Russian gas flowing to Europe. Orbán and Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico insist the lost supplies will have dire ramifications for their energy costs and security. But Ukraine is flatly refusing to renew the deal and the EU argues the two countries can easily find other fuel sources.

It’s a change in message for Orbán, who previously argued the EU should wait to see what Donald Trump would do on Russia sanctions before renewing its own. But he lost that line of attack earlier this week after Trump unexpectedly threatened Vladimir Putin with more sanctions. Now, the Hungarian premier is shifting his attention to Ukraine.

“The Ukrainians, while it is in their interests to impose sanctions, are now poking their nose into the flour and tampering with the Hungarians, even on the energy side, because they are not allowing gas to flow from Russia to Hungary,” Orbán said. 

Still, three diplomats with knowledge of the sanctions talks said they still expected the populist prime minister to ultimately allow the reauthorization, perhaps as soon as Monday, when foreign ministers gather in Brussels. Authorities have until next Friday to reach a deal.

Is Monday the day?

One EU envoy, who like others was granted anonymity to speak freely about the closed-door discussions, predicted the renewal would come Monday, even though Hungary was expressing “reservations” during preparatory meetings.

“They like the drama,” the envoy quipped.

The agenda for Monday’s meeting shows Hungary has yet to offer a verdict on what it will do. Diplomats are taking that as a positive sign — an indication that Orbán hasn’t told his officials to veto the renewal.

“We will see,” said a second EU diplomat. “Hungary is acting in quite a transactional way. Will they be asking something related to energy? … As of today, there is no demand on the table.”

Additionally, the diplomat added, “We haven’t heard anything here in Brussels” from Orbán’s team since Trump’s inauguration.

The Orbán-Trump relationship has been closely watched in Brussels this week, with officials keen to see how the Hungarian leader will try and leverage having an ideological ally in the White House. Since Wednesday, Sanctions hawks have been keen to pounce on Trump’s pugnacious early approach to Putin, calling on Hungary to relent.

“I hope that the government of Hungary has read the message from the president of the United States,” Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski said on Thursday at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, expressing hope that the EU could not just approve the rollover but adopt further sanctions packages as well.

Sarah Wheaton contributed reporting from Davos, Switzerland.