The prime minister told journalists that Hungary would find such a solution acceptable since this would not involve “dropping a nuclear bomb” on the country’s economy.

Orbán also alluded to a recent veiled threat that “something may happen” to the pipeline transporting Russian oil, saying Hungary wanted an outcome from the summit that would leave it the right to procure Russian oil via sea shipments in such an event.

“This is the guarantee we need. If I obtain such a guarantee we’re asking for today, then we’re safe,” the prime minister said.

Responding to a question, Orbán said Hungary was prepared to back the EU’s sixth sanctions package if a guarantee were made regarding the security of Hungary’s energy supply, adding that solutions should be arrived at before sanctions are agreed.

In the event Hungary were forced to make costly investments such as building pipelines and upgrading oil refineries, the country would not reap any “extra profit”, he said, adding that oil would end up costing Hungarians more than the current one.

“We won’t let this happen,” he added.

Fidesz: On Issue of Oil Embargo, Hungarian Left-Wing Backing Brussels

On the issue of sanctions on Russian oil, Hungarian left-wing parties are backing Brussels rather than Hungarian people, the communications chief of the ruling Fidesz party said ahead of a meeting of the European Council.

István Hollik said the issue was expected to bring about “serious battles”, adding that leftist lawmakers and MEPs had confirmed they would vote in favour of the EU proposal.

The Brussels proposal on oil sanctions, a response to the war in Ukraine, “is an attack on Hungarian economy and the government’s scheme to cut utility fees,” Hollik said, adding that the Fidesz-led alliance would not allow “Brussels, hand in hand with the Hungarian left wing,” to put the government’s achievements of the past twelve years in jeopardy, he said.