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Szijjártó on Trump’s Russia Oil Tariffs: “We Hope It Won’t Be Relevant in 50 Days”
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![Photo of Cyril Barabaltchouk]( "Photo of Cyril Barabaltchouk")
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Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó expressed hope that in 50 days, US President Donald Trump’s threat of secondary tariffs against countries buying Russian oil will no longer be relevant, the minister said after a meeting of the EU Foreign Affairs Council on July 15.
The statement came amid growing tensions at the European Union foreign ministers' meeting in Brussels, where Szijjártó discussed the “escalating war rhetoric and the EU’s stance on Ukraine’s integration”, Hungarian outlet Telex reports.
Szijjártó remarked that European politicians are pushing for even greater involvement in the war, shifting the burden of responsibility onto European citizens.
“European politicians are trying to drag Europe even deeper into the war and make the European people pay for it,” he stated, commenting on Trump’s recent announcement that US weapons supplies to Ukraine would be funded by European countries.
“The clear Brussels agenda is to send more weapons and money,” Szijjártó continued, but stressed, “No one is going to spend the Hungarian people’s money on weapons for Ukraine.”
Regarding the EU’s sanctions against Russia, Szijjártó pointed out that Hungary and Slovakia are blocking proposals aimed at ending dependence on Russian energy sources. He criticized the long-term and spot-market energy purchasing bans, claiming they would significantly increase gas prices.
Szijjártó argued that such measures would violate EU agreements and compromise national security.
In the same press briefing, Kaja Kallas, the EU’s High Representative for Foreign and Security Policy, expressed support for Trump’s approach. However, she pointed out that the US should also bear a fair share of the responsibility in terms of funding weapons for Ukraine.
“If you promise to give weapons but say others should pay for it, you’re not really giving them,” Kallas said.
Szijjártó, in his remarks, also praised Trump for his ongoing peace efforts in Ukraine, suggesting that if European and Ukrainian politicians hadn’t undermined these efforts, they might have already achieved success.
“No one has done more for peace in Ukraine than Donald Trump, and he deserves respect and recognition for that,” Szijjártó said.
He added that he hoped Trump’s efforts in the next 50 days would bring about a ceasefire and create opportunities for peace talks in Ukraine.
However, Szijjártó also commented on Russia’s continued military escalation, particularly through large-scale airstrikes.
“The Russian airstrikes show they are not ready for peace,” he said.
Earlier, Hungary’s Foreign Minister, Péter Szijjártó, reiterated Hungary’s previous claims that the banning of Lukoil transfers across Ukraine amounted to “blackmail”.
