Posted on 01/24/2025 5:11:27 AM PST by marshmallow
As the Hungarian prime minister noted, he had told other EU leaders that "if Ukraine wants to receive assistance" it should also refrain from using "military means to attack" the TurkStream gas pipeline
BUDAPEST, January 24. /TASS/. EU sanctions against Russia can be prolonged only if Ukraine restores Russian gas transit to Central Europe, stops attacks on the TurkStream pipeline, and provides guarantees for continued oil transit, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said in an interview with Kossuth radio.
He noted that he had told other EU leaders that "if Ukraine wants to receive assistance, including sanctions against Russia", it must meet three conditions: restore gas transit, "not use military means to attack" the TurkStream gas pipeline, and not impose a ban on Russian oil supplies to Europe through its territory. Orban warned that "otherwise the sanctions, a decision on which must be made in a week, will not be extended".
Orban also added that EU sanctions against Russia are harming Europe - Hungary alone has lost about 19 bln euro due to them, so EU leaders should consider whether to continue this policy.
He reminded that the EU has to decide by January 31 whether to prolong the sanctions against Russia imposed over the conflict in Ukraine for another six months. "If we look at the figures for the last three years, we will see that Hungary has lost about 19 bln euro due to the sanctions," he said.
"Now the question of extending the sanctions is on the table, but I pulled the handbrake and told other European leaders that this cannot go on any longer," Orban noted.
(Excerpt) Read more at tass.com ...
I presume Orban is demonstrating to the EU how absurd their position is, e.g. we can only maintain sanctions against Russia if we stop sanctioning Russia. If WEF had just succeeded in dismantling Russia and taking control of the gas supplies, none of this would have mattered.
I’ve been saying right along, part of any “deal” will be that the Ukraine will have to let Russia deliver gas through their lines. Ukraine loses a billion dollars/year by cutting off the deliveries to the EU...the EU pays fees for the use of Ukraine’s lines. Still EU costs were much less than what they’re now paying to import from other sources.
The EU knows that Russia doesn’t need the money from their gas pipeline ($5B a year is child’s play compared to the value of their energy exports), so having Ukraine cut off the gas to Hungary (and nearby nations) is push regime change in Hungary, as Hungary won’t buckle to the EU’s demands, which are primarily cutting off the dicks of little boys, ending fossil fuel use, and accepting a flood of immigrants.
We’ll see how this plays out because this may well include ALL of the sanctions imposed by the EU...and the EU has one week before the sanctions end.
LNG tankers is a stupidly expensive way to move natural gas as compared to pipelines.
Ukraine begs from every direction.
If they ever became part of NATO, this behavior would quintuple overnight. NATO itself may not last much longer, if they don’t get rid of troublemakers like Turkey.
Isn’t is spelled Turkiye now?
Is it the same pronunciation?
Looks like Europeans like to stay warm in the winter too.
EU to Russia..
TURN OUR GAS ON! SO, WE CAN SPANK YOU!
sounds like part of a peace deal:
Russia gets renewed ability to sell natural gas and oil to the west
Sticky points (a) territory won by Russia and by Ukraine since 2022; and, (b) territory won by Russia in 2014.
I suggest return of (a) to Russia and Ukraine; and internationally-supervised plebiscite separately in (b1) Crimea and (b2) the two breakaway republics. WITH right of individuals to relocate to Ukraine or to Russia if the plebiscite goes “the wrong way” from their standpoint.
With the possibility that Crimea chooses Russia: a pre-negotiated water concession.
Understanding that Ukraine is free to join EU and NATO, along with an agreement that offensive weapons are not to be placed stationed of the Dnieper River or in Kaliningrad; nor will NATO or Russia conduct military exercises within 100 miles of their border with the other.
Possible add-on agreements:
Resolution of the breakaway Republic of Transnistia (in favor of Romania), and of South Ossetia and Abkhazia (by internationally-supervised plebiscites in each place). And, recognition that Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan are free to join the EU or NATO.
Carving up of the Arctic Ocean among the five countries having coastlines there (Russia, US, Canada, Denmark and Norway).
This is far afield, but why not: similarly carving up of the South China Sea among the countries having coastlines there and understanding that Taiwan de facto an independent country while de jure a province of China (making permanent its current status).
Yes, let’s see if Trump can bring peace to all of these matters; not that that the Nobel Peace Prize committee will notice.
not to be placed EAST of the Dnieper River
They obviously haven't needed that money since they've gotten welfare support from the U.S. and other European countries these past four years. And like welfare checks, nobody knows where any of that money ends up.
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