Orban and Fico Join Forces Against EU Pressure on Russian Energy

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico have joined forces against calls from the EU and the US to abandon Russian energy resources, stressing that their countries, as sovereign states, determine their own energy policy.

The Gaze reports on it, referring to Bloomberg.

During a joint appearance in Esztergom, they said that sovereign states should not make “politically and ideologically motivated decisions” that could harm their economies.

“No one should tell us where to get our gas and oil,” Slovak leader Fico told a small crowd in Esztergom, Hungary, “because according to international law, it is a sovereign country that decides on its own energy mix.”

Fico stressed that abandoning Russian energy would hit Central European countries particularly hard, as they have no access to the sea and depend on the Druzhba pipeline.

In his opinion, a sharp reduction in supplies is not only technically difficult but also economically dangerous for the whole of Europe. Orbán supported this position, stressing that without alternative sources of supply, the region risks an energy crisis.

Both leaders also discussed the issue with former US President Donald Trump, whom Fico described as open to dialogue.

As The Gaze reported earlier, Donald Trump called Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, urging him to reduce purchases of Russian oil, a source of funding for Russia's war against Ukraine.