Gas scandal: EU Commission to review Hungary's Gazprom contract as Budapest accuses Ukraine of “infringing on sovereignty”

How the gas contract has strained relations between Ukraine and Hungary.

The European Commission is reviewing the consequences of the gas contract between Russia and Hungary for supplying gas bypassing Ukraine and via a longer gas route, while Hungarian politicians accuse Ukraine of “infringing on sovereignty” for defending its position.

More on the mirror summoning of ambassadors to foreign ministries, Ukraine’s position and the impact of the conflict on Ukraine–Hungary bilateral relations.

European Commission statement

The European Commission said that it is reviewing the possible consequences of the long-term gas supply contract to Hungary, signed the day before by Hungary’s MVM Group and Gazprom, bypassing Ukraine’s gas transit system.

“The contract was signed yesterday. I have already asked my colleagues to check what the consequences will be,” said European Commission spokesperson Tim McPhie at a briefing.

He noted that currently, in particular, a check is already under way on whether the contract’s terms comply with EU rules.

Diplomats summoned

As reported Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó, Hungary’s Foreign Ministry summoned Ukraine’s ambassador in Budapest over Ukraine’s harsh reaction to the contract.

Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry, in turn, summoned Hungary’s ambassador to Ukraine, István Ijjártó, in a mirror move. 

“I can confirm the summoning of Ukraine’s ambassador in Budapest. Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry is similarly summoning Hungary’s ambassador in Kyiv,” he said.

According to Nikolenko, the Foreign Ministry will convey to Ijjártó the following position of principle:

• transporting gas bypassing Ukraine undermines Ukraine’s national security and Europe’s energy security;
• Hungary’s agreement with Gazprom deals a serious blow to Ukrainian-Hungarian relations.
  

Ukraine will take decisive measures to defend its national interests, the ministry spokesperson added.

What the foreign ministers of the two countries said

Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó accused Ukraine of attempting to “violate the sovereignty” of his country.

Péter Szijjártó
Hungarian Foreign Minister

We consider it a serious violation of our sovereignty and national security interests to seek to prevent the secure gas supply to our country, the heating of Hungarian people’s homes and the operation of industry. The decision of the Ukrainian government to oppose this agreement by appealing to the European Commission is deeply outrageous.

According to him, Ukraine has no say in who Hungary signs agreements with. Notably, the official Kremlin has also spoken in similar rhetoric.

For his part, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said that Hungary had dealt a blow to Ukrainian-Hungarian relations by excluding the Ukrainian pipeline from the scheme of gas supplies from Russia, and that Ukraine would respond accordingly.

Dmytro Kuleba
head of Ukrainian diplomacy

There is a country, Hungary, which is an EU and NATO member, while having special relations with Russia, and has dealt a blow to Ukrainian-Hungarian relations by excluding the Ukrainian pipeline from the scheme of gas supplies from Russia. This is a blow, and we will respond accordingly, as there should be no regret and no condolences here.

He noted that the session of the joint Ukrainian-Hungarian intergovernmental commission on economic cooperation was cancelled even before Hungary and Russia signed the agreement.

Dmytro Kuleba
Foreign Minister of Ukraine

We knew that a Russian delegation was already flying there, that this agreement would be signed. And by signing this deal, they already knew our position. This will not be just a political step — cancelling the commission meeting, which is the main body of bilateral cooperation. We will take other steps to defend Ukraine’s national interests in this situation.