Germany will support oil embargo from Russia without Hungary: Minister

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Germany is willing to back the EU's embargo on Russian oil without Hungary's participation, but the proposal should come from the European Commission, according to German Economy Minister Robert Habeck on Monday.

During an interview with the Deutschlandfunk Kultur radio, Habeck stated that "If head of the European Commission [Ursula von der Leyen] says, we will do it now as part of 26 [EU countries], without Hungary. This is the way I would go, but I have not heard about it from the EU yet. In this case, I would be ready to ... The European Commission has taken the lead in the negotiations." 

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban previously blasted the European Commission head Ursula von der Leyen for "attacking" EU unity with a plan to ban Russian oil, saying it crosses a red line.

On state radio, Orban considered that "The European Commission president, intentionally or unintentionally, has attacked the European unity that had been worked out."

According to Habeck, Germany acknowledges that some EU members require a longer transition period before refusing Russian oil supplies. He went on to say, in response to Hungary's position on the oil embargo, that each country has its own set of requirements, and they all rely to varying degrees on energy imports.

"My guess is that the path will be as follows: as is always the case in Europe, some countries will receive special rights, and an agreement will be reached," he said, adding that  this time the decision would be "a concerted European action, driven by Europe."

When asked about the process of denying the Russian oil supply, the German minister stated that it is moving forward. Two floating LNG terminals, in particular, will begin operations by the end of the year, while gas storage tanks are being "slowly but steadily" filled.

"We reduced our dependence on gas from Russia from 55% before the war [in Ukraine] to 35%. If all goes well, by Christmas or by the end of the year we will have two LNG terminals," he stated.