Hungary is in talks with Russia and Ukraine on keeping open gas shipments via Ukraine even though its Russian gas imports now come via the Turkstream pipeline, Prime Minister Viktor Orban said on Saturday,

Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico announced on Dec. 27 that his government will evaluate potential reciprocal measures against Ukraine, including halting electricity supplies, if Ukraine stops the transit of Russian gas to Slovakia after January 1.

Hungary is seeking a solution that would allow gas flows to Europe via Ukraine to continue once the current transit contract between Moscow and Kyiv expires, Prime Minister Viktor Orban said.

The EU has a non-binding goal of stopping all Russian energy imports by 2027. “The end of Ukraine transit could speed up this decoupling, and would also imply a loss of $6.5 billion annually for Russia, unless it can redirect these flows to other pipelines or LNG terminals,” Bruegel said.

Russian President Vladimir Putin met Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico in the Kremlin on Sunday, a rare visit by a European Union leader to Moscow as a contract allowing for Russian gas to transit through Ukraine nears expiry.

Vladimir Putin has said that he will not sign a new gas transit deal with Ukraine by the end of the year, dashing his allies, Slovakia and Hungary's, hopes.

European gas prices have jumped after Vladimir Putin abandoned a key pipeline transporting the fuel through Ukraine.

The agreement allowing Russian gas to transit through Ukraine to Europe will expire in a few days. Our eastern neighbors have already announced that they do not intend to extend it. The Kremlin is trying to put on a brave face,