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Hungary adheres to Russian gas, United States calls it 'dangerous addiction'

Hungary indicated on Thursday it had no strategies to desert natural gas imports from Russia and sought to deepen company ties with Moscow in nonsanctioned areas, activating a strong rebuke from Washington over its dangerous dependency to Russian energy.

A day after Hungary, which gets most of its energy from Russia, revealed a deal to acquire a 5% stake in Azerbaijan's. Shah Deniz gas field, its foreign minister travelled to Russia. to verify energy ties with the Kremlin.

While nations in western Europe have made severe efforts. to wean themselves off Russian gas since Moscow's 2022 intrusion. of Ukraine, landlocked Hungary has actually been receiving 4.5 billion. cubic metres (bcm) of gas per year from Russia under a 15-year. deal signed in 2021.

Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto, who remained in St. Petersburg for an economic forum, stated Hungary was pleased with. its cooperation with Russia on gas products and has no strategies to. stop acquiring gas from Moscow regardless of pressure to do so.

You can sneer, find reasons or criticise however that is beside. the point, Szijjarto stated in a Facebook post.

It is impossible to guarantee Hungary's energy supply without. Russian energy resources which has absolutely nothing to do with. politics or ideology but is rooted in plain truths of physics.

Hungary is the only European Union member whose leader,. Prime Minister Viktor Orban, has maintained friendly ties with. Russian President Vladimir Putin given that Moscow's invasion of. Ukraine.

Orban's government has roiled EU and NATO allies by. keeping close business ties with Russia and by refusing to. send weapons to Ukraine.

Simply ahead of Szijjarto's go to, Orban informed Hungarian. site Mandiner late on Wednesday that he wanted to broaden. business ties with Moscow in areas not impacted by Western. sanctions on Russia.

Szijjarto's discuss Thursday drew a sharp rebuke from. Washington.

Hungary's government says it is the 'party of peace' while. continuing to stand with Putin's celebration of war. Hungary's. dependency to Russian energy is dangerous and unnecessary, U.S. Ambassador to Hungary David Pressman said on Facebook.

The laws of physics in Hungary are no various than the. laws of physics in every one of Hungary's EU partners,. all of whom have actually chosen to minimize reliance on Putin, he stated.

A Hungarian federal government spokesperson did not immediately react. to emailed questions for discuss the envoy's remarks.

(source: Reuters)