BUDAPEST, January 8. /TASS/. The termination of transit of Russian gas to Europe by Ukraine is unacceptable and contradicts its intention to join the European Union, Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Peter Szijjarto said when commenting on Kiev’s decision to terminate the pumping of gas from Russia to EU countries starting January 1.
Ukraine, which is a candidate for joining the EU, is obliged to keep energy supply routes, he noted. "The closing of routes for transportation of natural gas and oil is unacceptable and contradicts the EU integration expectations," the minister wrote on his page on Facebook (prohibited in Russia due to its ownership by Meta, which has been designated as extremist).
"Yesterday’s piece of news on growth of prices for natural gas as a result of the termination of gas transit via Ukrainian territory was followed by a fairly aggressive reaction of the Ukrainian foreign ministry, while today a bill aimed at closing the routes for transportation of natural gas and oil from Russia amid military actions was registered on the website of the Ukrainian parliament," the minister noted, adding that "there is reality, there are rights and obligations." "The reality is as follows: in the EU the states unanimously take a decision on accession of new members. In other words, we have to vote for each state," Szijjarto said.
The rights suggest that "each country has its sovereign right to decide from where and in what way it receives energy it needs," he added. "No one externally can influence it. No one has the right to impose more expensive and uncertain purchases of energy resources on the other country," the minister stressed.
Regarding obligations, "the country entering an agreement on association with the European Union and even willing to become an EU member is obliged to contribute to the EU’s energy security by ensuring the security of transport routes," Szijjarto emphasized.