BUDAPEST, March 25. /TASS/. Europe may soon face an unprecedented energy crisis due to Europe’s refusal to use Russian energy resources and disruptions of supplies from the Persian Gulf region, Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Peter Szijjarto said, noting that gas reserves in EU storage facilities have fallen to 9% of annual consumption.

He said that the armed conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East, as well as "Europe’s response to them, could very easily create a situation in which Europe will soon face a more serious energy crisis than ever before." "This will be an energy crisis not only in terms of prices but also supply security," the foreign minister said at a meeting with business representatives in the Hungarian city of Szekesfehervar.

Szijjarto pointed out that gas storage facilities in European countries are currently filled to only 9% of annual consumption. "We Hungarians were more far-sighted and planned our lives better, so our storage facilities contain almost three times more reserves, which equals 24% of our annual consumption," the minister said, according to Hungarian television broadcasts.

At the same time, he recalled that the main energy supply routes to Hungary had come under threat due to actions by Ukraine. According to him, Kiev first imposed an oil blockade by blocking the Druzhba pipeline, and in recent days "tried to block gas supplies." "Dozens of [Ukrainian] drones attacked the TurkStream gas pipeline, through which natural gas flows to Hungary," Szijjarto said.

He added that Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban announced earlier on Wednesday the suspension of gas supplies from Hungary to Ukraine. According to the foreign minister, this gas will now be directed into Hungarian storage facilities to guarantee the country’s energy security.