China News Service, April 7 (Reuters) - Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said on the 6th local time that Hungary will buy natural gas in rubles if requested by Russia.
Image source: Screenshot of a Reuters report.
According to reports, Hungarian Prime Minister Orban told reporters at a news conference that "we have no problem paying in rubles. If Russia asks, we will pay in rubles."
Hungary's foreign minister also previously said that EU authorities would not play "any role" in Hungary's gas supply agreement with Russia, which is based on a bilateral contract between Hungary's state-owned MVM and Gazprom.
Reuters said Hungary's move broke an alliance with the European Union, which has been seeking a united front against Russia's demands for ruble payments.
According to previous reports, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced on March 23 that when Russia supplies natural gas to "unfriendly" countries and regions such as member states of the European Union, it will switch to rubles for settlement.
The move triggered fears that the energy crisis in Europe may intensify, and European natural gas prices rose.