Hungary slams Baltic, Northern European leaders over energy advice

By Melike Pala

BRUSSELS (AA) - Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto criticized Baltic and Northern European countries for urging Hungary to reduce its dependence on Russian energy, saying the advice ignores Budapest's geographic limitations.

"The irony is when Baltic and Northern countries with seacoasts lecture us about successfully breaking away from Russian energy. They forget one tiny detail: Hungary is landlocked. We have no coastline where an LNG terminal or refinery could be built overnight," Szijjarto wrote on the US social media platform X.

He stressed that geography plays a decisive role in determining a country's energy options.

"We can dream of gas and oil from sources without pipelines, but dreams cannot heat homes, provide hot water, or run factories," he said.

He added that ensuring Hungary's energy supply remains a top priority, emphasizing that the country will not compromise its energy security.

EU countries are discussing measures to enhance energy security, including reducing dependence on Russian energy sources, improving infrastructure, and expanding renewable energy production.