Kallas Agrees With Trump, But Opposes Sanctions on Hungary

The head of European diplomacy, Kaja Kallas, has stated that she is against imposing sanctions on Hungary and Slovakia for buying Russian oil. At the same time, she emphasized that Budapest and Bratislava should seriously consider and develop alternative energy sources offered by neighboring countries to free themselves from dependence on Russian oil and gas. Thus, she effectively supported the long-standing demand of US President Donald Trump.

In an interview with Sky News, Kallas, referring to Trump's statements about European countries stopping their purchases of Russian energy, said: "He is right on this issue." This admission from the high-ranking EU official underscores the general concern that revenues from the sale of Russian energy continue to fuel the Kremlin's war machine.

Despite this rhetoric, Kallas clarified that the European Union does not intend to apply punitive measures against its member states, Hungary and Slovakia, which continue to import Russian oil, citing their geographical location and infrastructure specifics. According to her, instead of sanctions, the focus should be on developing alternative routes that would allow these countries to gradually reduce their dependence on Moscow.

This statement by Kallas reflects the complex situation within the European Union. On the one hand, there is a unified political will to reduce energy ties with Russia amid the ongoing war in Ukraine. On the other hand, the EU is forced to consider the economic realities and energy security challenges of individual member states, which do not allow for drastic steps.