The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry has again lashed out at Hungary, saying it views its neighbor’s eagerness to accept Russia’s demand for gas payments to be made in rubles as an “unfriendly position.” Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered the switch to gas payments in the national currency after Kiev’s Western backers imposed harsh sanctions against the country.
Moscow is looking to receive payment for gas in rubles in order to save its economy amid the embargoes and to obtain resources to continue its military operation against Kiev, the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Thursday.
“In this context, we consider the statement of [Hungary’s] readiness to pay for Russian gas in rubles as an unfriendly position towards our state,” it said.
Budapest’s stance goes against the position of the EU, which “refused to satisfy Russia’s whim in principle,” and rejected the idea of ruble payments, the ministry added.