Sky-high prices and electricity shortages could hit Hungarians within “weeks” after Kyiv imposed a partial ban on Russian oil passing through its territory.

Hungary is racing against time to avoid power outages and fuel shortages after Ukraine imposed a partial ban on Russian oil passing through its territory.

Kyiv last month imposed sanctions blocking the transit of pipeline crude sold by Moscow’s largest private oil firm, Lukoil, to Central Europe — partially negating an exemption to sanctions set up by the European Union to give Russian-reliant countries extra time to wean off supplies.

Ukraine’s aim is to throttle a key source of revenue for the Kremlin’s war chest more than two years after its full-scale invasion of the country.

But the move is sparking fears of supply shortages in Budapest, which relies on Russia for 70 percent of its oil imports — and Lukoil for half that amount.

  • lmaydev@lemmy.world
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    4 months ago

    They’ve had two years to sort it out. No one’s fault but their own.

    I can’t think of many other cases where you’d allow a country you’re at war with to use your territory for funding said war.

    It’s like the whole giving them weapons but limiting how they can use them against the enemy. It’s absolutely insane.

  • gravitas_deficiency@sh.itjust.works
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    4 months ago

    I don’t understand how Hungary could possibly be surprised by this. They’ve been running their geopolitical stance at a goodwill deficit for years. Hungary is the one country in the EU that has materially negatively impacted Ukraine’s war effort (that is: while other countries have dropped the ball at various points due to bureaucratic idiocy, Hungary is the only country whose leadership is fairly openly ideologically opposed to the Ukrainian cause). I know their populace is propagandized and everything, but maybe catastrophic oil price increases will make some of them pull their heads out of their asses and revolt against Orban.

    • matlag@sh.itjust.works
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      4 months ago

      You wish. Orban controls all the media there now. You can be sure the narrative is “Ukraine is just punishing them unfairly for calling for a ceasefire and negociations” or anothe nice story that will make them look bad.

  • riodoro1@lemmy.world
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    4 months ago

    What the fuck is Ukraine doing letting russia make money through their territory?

    Why is Hungary allowed to pay russia for oil?

    Weren’t there supposed to be sanctions?

    • vxx@lemmy.world
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      4 months ago

      They were given a grace period to ween off of the dependancy. Orban seems to have used that period to double down on Russian oil.

      Now that period is over because they’ve shown they have no interest in getting away from Russian influence.

      You don’t use all your jokers in the first hand played.