Ukraine Must Uphold Association Agreement, Hungarian Foreign Minister Says
Hungary’s Foreign Minister, Péter Szijjártó, has stated on his Facebook page that Ukraine must uphold the Association Agreement with the EU, which includes the maintenance of energy supply routes. This comment came in response to Kiev’s refusal to extend the agreement with Gazprom on gas transit to European countries, which expired on December 31.
Szijjártó wrote, “Ukraine is acting like an EU candidate and has created a difficult situation for the European economy with its recent decision.”
He reported on a phone conversation with Slovakia’s Minister of Foreign and European Affairs, Juraj Blanár, in which both sides agreed that the Association Agreement between the EU and Ukraine must be upheld by both parties, including the maintenance of energy supply routes.
Szijjártó also stated, “The increase in gas prices in Europe was primarily caused by artificial supply cuts, such as the suspension of a range of sources due to sanctions and political decisions, as well as the closure of some transport routes. Against the backdrop of the recent price increase, Ukraine stopped the transit of Russian gas through its territory to Central Europe. Since the final decision to close this route in mid-December, the gas price on the European market has risen by 20 percent.”
The transit route through Ukraine is the only route for Russian gas deliveries to some western and central European countries. In 2019, Russian Gazprom and Ukrainian Naftogaz signed a five-year transit agreement, which foresaw the transmission of 225 billion cubic meters of gas, with 65 billion cubic meters in 2020 and 40 billion cubic meters in each subsequent year. This agreement expired on December 31, 2024, and the Ukrainian side has repeatedly refused to extend it. Russia’s Deputy Prime Minister, Alexander Novak, referred to the complex situation of gas reserves in European gas storage facilities and the dependence of further deliveries on agreements between the European Commission and Kiev.