Budapest slams Costa:"Other EU countries secretly buy Russian oil."

“Hungary buys Russian oil openly because it has no other choice, while some European countries buy it secretly through alternative channels because it is cheaper,” Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó said, as reported via X by Hungarian government spokesman Zoltan Kovacs. The minister “warned against the hypocrisy of those who loudly attack Hungary and Slovakia, but silently import the same oil via Asia,” according to Kovacs, while the informal Energy Council was held in Denmark.

"Buying energy is a physical matter. You can only buy where gas pipelines exist," the minister added, noting that the EU—his spokesperson claims—has rejected Hungary's request to expand the capacity of gas pipelines in Southeastern Europe, while Croatia has increased transit tariffs to five times the EU benchmark instead of promoting alternative routes. Regarding regional security, the minister—his spokesperson added—emphasized that the new peace agreement between Armenia and Azerbaijan could be transformative for East-West transit:"This corridor creates enormous potential for transport, trade, and mobility throughout the region. Hungary is investing in railways and roads to strengthen our share."