Ukrainian war, Hungary: we pay Russian gas in rubles to guarantee supplies
“L’Hungary has no doubts about its obligation to pay the Russian gas in a way that guarantees its regular supply “, explained the Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto. Budapest will therefore pay Russian suppliers for gas in rubles. “The supply of energy is a matter of national security and the government has a duty to guarantee security to the citizens”.
War in Ukraine, new EU sanctions are on the way: stop to Russian oil
The European Union prepares a sixth package of sanctions against Russia for the invasion of Ukraine, to be launched this week, which will also include the gradual stop of Russian oil.
As he explains the Ansayesterday the President of the Republic Sergio Mattarellaspeaking to the European Council, he has already expressed Italy’s yes to the new sanctions, inviting the search for peace through dialogue, rather than in tests of strength between great powers, while Prime Minister Draghi is preparing to visit the President of the States United Joe Biden next May 10 to strengthen the alliance.
After Summit Born in Ramstein, in which several voices have been raised in favor of rearmament, Putin threatens to use secret weapons against the West and the Ukrainians have already denounced the use of phosphorus weapons. The United States says it has received “credible information” that a Russian military unit allegedly executed Ukrainians who wanted to surrender near Donetsk, “executions of people to whom hands were tied, torture and sexual violence against women and girls”, such as to lead to the recognition of “systematic abuse”. Moscow retorts, with one of its diplomats at the UN, that the Ukrainians have tortured prisoners in a torture center in Mariupol called “the library”.
Kiev asks the US for other weapons, in particular attack drones and ammunition, a request that awaits the ok from Biden, who announced a speech for this afternoon and asked Congress for funds to support Ukraine, both from a military and humanitarian point of view, for another 5 months. Meanwhile, the US Chamber has approved a law that allows the seizure and sell the assets of the oligarchs subject to sanctions and to use the proceeds for reconstruction in Ukraine. Then there remains the gas node. After the halt to Poland and Bulgaria, the president of the Duma asked all “hostile countries” to turn off the taps.
In Italy flows from Russia are currently regular, although payment in rubles is excluded, but the government is working to diversify the sources of supply. The next payments to Moscow are scheduled for mid-May. Alarm from Berlin: “With the energy embargo, the Germany will go into recession”.