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Kyiv and Budapest clash over a Russian gas deal
Summary
A 15-year Gazprom supply agreement signed days earlier drew criticism from Ukraine and a sharp reply from Hungary's foreign minister.
What did a gas contract signed in the last days of September 2021 mean for relations between Kyiv and Budapest? By 29 September 2021, the argument was already two days old.
On 27 September, Hungary and Russia signed a natural gas supply deal. Under it, Gazprom would deliver 4.5 billion cubic metres of gas a year to Hungary via Serbia and Austria for the next 15 years.
Ukraine criticised the agreement, calling it a purely political and economically unreasonable decision. Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó responded by accusing Ukraine of meddling in Hungary's internal affairs.
A parallel story in Kyiv
The dispute unfolded as Ukraine was dealing with its own domestic politics. On 23 September, it had passed a law ordering oligarchs to stay out of politics. The vote came a day after a failed assassination attempt on an aide to President Volodymyr Zelenskyi, which officials said could have been a response to the reform.
