Hungary and Slovakia ask the EU to cover the cost of stopping Russian gas supplies

Hungary and Slovakia, which are heavily dependent on Russia for their natural gas supplies, have asked the European Commission to compensate them for the cost of leaving the country. The European Commission wants to ban Russian gas imports into the European Union by 31 December 2027 at the latest. In their letter to the Commission, Hungary and Slovakia mention two types of costs: the costs of a possible dispute with Gazprom following the termination of long-term gas purchase contracts, and the additional costs associated with the alternative supply of Russian gas that the two countries will have to put in place.