BUDAPEST, January 18. /TASS/. The recent steps taken by Ukraine when it halted Russian gas transit via its territory and the United States, which imposed sanctions against Russian oil and gas companies, a fraught with another energy crisis in Europe, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said.
"Alarming developments have been reported in the area of Europe’s energy supplies in recent days. The Ukrainians blocked the gas pipeline feeding Hungary with gas, while the American administration imposed sanctions, which triggered a rise in energy prices in Europe. Europe is moving headlong to an energy crisis," he said in a video address from Belgrade where he has held talks with Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic.
According to Orban, Ukraine’s and US actions have triggered a growth in fuel prices in Europe. "What is now happening at Hungarian filling stations is shocking," he noted, adding that this threatens people’s wellbeing and harms the economy. "Europe must avoid this," he stressed.
Earlier, he said that the biggest threat to the national economy comes from the rise in oil and gas prices provoked by Western sanctions against Russia.