Hungary and Slovakia face challenges in paying for Russian gas due to new U.S. sanctions on Gazprombank, risking supply disruptions without a legal solution.
Hungary and Slovakia are seeking ways to make payments for Russian gas that were thrown into uncertainty by new U.S. sanctions on Russia's Gazprombank, officials said on Wednesday.
Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said he would hold talks with Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak later on Wednesday to work out a legal solution regarding future payments for shipments.
The U.S. imposed new sanctions on Russia's Gazprombank on Nov. 21, creating an obstacle for European buyers of Russian gas. Buyers have been using Gazprombank to make the payments, including a scheme for currency conversion to roubles.
A source close to the Slovak state-owned gas company SPP, which has a long-term contract with the Russian supplier Gazprom and supplies most of the Slovak market, said the problem was acute as a monthly payment was coming up and there was currently no known way how to make it.
Failure to pay could prompt Gazprom to suspend shipments, the source said.
Russian President Vladimir Putin issued a decree last week cancelling the option for buyers of Russian gas to convert currency into roubles at Gazprombank.The lender said separately in a statement it remained the only bank authorised to process payments for Russian gas by foreign buyers, but it will receive payments only in roubles.
The source close to SPP said the issue affected other buyers in Europe as well, including countries in the Balkans, as banks were not willing to send payments to Gazprombank, and there was no grace period for the U.S. sanctions.
A spokesman for SPP said the company was still analysing the situation.
Slovakia and Hungary have been keen to continue buying Russian gas, though shipments to Slovakia face suspension from January as Ukraine does not plan to extend a transit agreement with Gazprom. Slovakia has been trying to find a workaround to allow the shipments to continue.
At least eight people have died and 32 others were injured after a freight train collided with a public bus at a railway crossing in Bangkok on Sat...
U.S. President Donald Trump said Washington could destroy Iran’s infrastructure “in two days,” while Tehran warned the U.S. would...
President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping sought to project stability and renewed dialogue during a closely watched summit in Beijing...
Ahead of next week’s World Urban Forum (WUF13), Baku State University and Azerbaijan’s State Committee fo...
French authorities have opened a new judicial inquiry into the killing of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, bringing renewed legal attention to a c...
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Saturday (14 March) that many countries are interested in purchasing Russian oil after the United States temporarily eased sanctions on certain exports.
The U.S. has seized a sanctioned oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela, President Donald Trump said on Wednesday (10 December), a move that sent oil prices higher and sharply escalated tensions between Washington and Caracas.
U.S. President Donald Trump has signed an executive order on Monday ending the U.S. sanctions programme on Syria, The White House confirmed.
President Donald Trump is expected to sign an executive order on Monday formally ending U.S. sanctions on Syria, in a major foreign policy reversal that follows a series of diplomatic overtures between Washington and Damascus.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Tehran has “no trust” in the United States and will only consider negotiations if Washington shows seriousness. His remarks came as talks on Iran’s nuclear programme continued, with Trump and Xi also opposing Iran acquiring nuclear weapons.
U.S. President Donald Trump said Washington could destroy Iran’s infrastructure “in two days,” while Tehran warned the U.S. would face growing economic costs from the conflict. The remarks came as Hezbollah reported new attacks on Israeli forces despite an extended Lebanon ceasefire.
The second semi-final of the 70th Eurovision Song Contest 2026 takes place tonight in a rain-soaked Vienna, with the final 10 places in Saturday’s grand final still up for grabs.
Russia and Ukraine exchanged prisoners of war as well as the bodies of fallen soldiers, on Friday (15 May). The swap came as Ukranian officials said Moscow had carried out its largest aerial attack over 48 hours since the conflict started.
A high-powered lawyer representing Elon Musk attacked the personal and professional credibility of OpenAI CEO Sam Altman on Thursday, as a landmark federal trial in California nears its conclusion.
China has launched the world’s first experiment to study how artificial human embryos develop in space, marking a major step in understanding whether humans could one day reproduce beyond Earth.
Every day, an elderly woman in China’s Shandong province looks forward to a video call from her son. He asks about her health, tells her he has been busy with work, and promises he will come home once he has saved enough money. She tells him she misses him. He tells her to take care of herself.
At least eight people have died and 32 others were injured after a freight train collided with a public bus at a railway crossing in Bangkok on Saturday (16 May), triggering a fire that quickly spread through the vehicle.
President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping sought to project stability and renewed dialogue during a closely watched summit in Beijing this week, even as major disagreements over Taiwan, trade and global security remained unresolved.
French authorities have opened a new judicial inquiry into the killing of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, bringing renewed legal attention to a case that continues to draw international focus nearly eight years after his killing.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment