Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjártó has fiercely criticized the latest sanctions imposed by the United States on Russia’s Gazprombank, calling them a deliberate attempt to undermine energy security in Central Europe. The sanctions, which effectively cut the bank off from the SWIFT international financial messaging system, are part of a broader move by Washington to isolate Moscow financially. However, Hungary argues that these measures disproportionately harm European nations reliant on Russian energy supplies.

Earlier this week, the US Treasury Department announced sweeping sanctions targeting over 50 Russian financial institutions, including Gazprombank, the primary channel for energy transactions with Russia. By cutting Gazprombank off from the SWIFT system, the sanctions severely limit its ability to conduct dollar-based transactions-a crucial mechanism for international trade, especially in energy resources.

Gazprombank is deeply intertwined with Russia’s energy exports, including natural gas sales to Europe. Its inclusion on the sanctions list has caused alarm among Central European nations, particularly Hungary, which depends heavily on Russian energy imports to meet domestic demand.

“Including Gazprombank on the sanctions list is a decision that deliberately puts some Central European countries in a difficult situation and deliberately jeopardizes the security of energy supplies,” Szijjártó stated in a Facebook post on November 22.

Hungary, a landlocked nation with limited domestic energy production, has long relied on Russian gas to power its industries and heat its homes. Over 80% of Hungary’s natural gas comes from Russia, making energy security a........

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