Hungary is ready to pay for Russian gas in rubles, this will not be a violation of EU sanctions, Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó said on Monday, according to Sputnik news agency.

The remarks by the foreign minister come a day after the Hungarian government spokesperson Zoltan Kovacs said on Saturday that payment in rubles for Russian gas is not a violation of European Union sanctions.

The website Hungary Today reported on Monday that a serious dispute has emerged between the European Union and the Hungarian government after Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said that Hungary would have no problem paying for Russian gas in rubles.

The European Commission says the Hungarian government would be in breach of EU sanctions if it decided to do so. In contrast, the Orbán government says that according to Hungary’s bilateral agreements with Russia, the currency for payments was “merely a technical detail.” Therefore, it is possible to pay for the Russian gas without violating the EU sanctions.

KI