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MOL turns to the European Commission amid ongoing debate over Hungary’s ability to quit Russian oil
The Adria oil pipeline, which runs through Croatia to Hungary, would be one of the most important routes for supplying the country if it had to give up Russian oil. There has been an ongoing debate about the capacity of the Adria pipeline ever since the European Union and the US imposed sanctions on the purchase of Russian crude oil. The Hungarian government's main argument is that without Russia, it would be impossible to supply the country's energy needs. Hungary and Slovakia were granted a temporary exemption, allowing them to continue purchasing Russian oil.
Mol and its Slovak subsidiary, Slovnaft, are also in dispute with Janaff, the operator of the Adria pipeline, over the capacity of the oil pipeline. This dispute has now entered a new phase with the two Mol companies turning to the European Commission's Directorate-General for Competition.
The two companies told the European Commission that Janaff had informed them that they would only receive the crude oil they had already purchased and scheduled for delivery if Mol and Slovnaft agreed to purchase additional quantities, which would be entered into Janaf's system as "technical stock."
Huawei receives Hungarian cybersecurity certification amid debate over security risks
Huawei Technologies Hungary has become the first company in the country to obtain an IoT cybersecurity certificate for its residential inverters, according to the Authority for the Supervision of Regulated Activities (SZTFH). The certification applies to Huawei’s solar inverters and energy storage devices, an area in which the company holds a leading position in the Hungarian market. SZTFH President László Nagy highlighted the rigor of the process, noting that products undergo multiple stages of cybersecurity assessment to verify transparent design, manufacturing, and servicing. While the authority did not disclose who carried out Huawei’s compliance review, the assessment likely involved Hunguard, an organization associated with Cabinet Minister Antal Rogán and previously rated as having “high” reliability by SZTFH.
The certification comes amid concerns in many Western countries over Huawei’s ties to the Chinese state, with critics citing fears of espionage and cyberattacks. Although Huawei has consistently denied such allegations and has challenged them in court, suspicions persist, including claims made by a former CIA director and cases involving exposed Chinese agents. Despite most European states phasing Huawei out of their 5G networks in favor of alternatives such as Ericsson, Hungary has continued to deepen its relationship with the company. This stance has drawn criticism abroad, including from former U.S. Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell, who accused the Orbán government of maintaining ties with strategic rivals of the United States. Against this backdrop, the EU has worked to establish a unified cybersecurity framework, with Hungary among the first to begin shaping its legal foundations, and SZTFH designated as the responsible authority.
Szijjártó takes swipe at NATO after Baltic air-defense mission
Hungarian foreign minister Péter Szijjártó called the Baltic air-defense mission NATO’s most dangerous task, warning of a daily risk of confrontation with Russia and crediting Hungary’s role with helping prevent wider escalation. Yet when he made these comments on 10 November, Russian aircraft had not entered Estonian, Latvian, or Lithuanian airspace for more than 50 days. That pause followed a shift in NATO’s response on 19 September, when the alliance used new tactics to counter Russian violation measures.
Several elements of Szijjártó’s remarks have since stirred criticism. Although he praised Hungary’s contribution, the decisive response in September was carried out by Italian and Swedish aircraft under NATO command, coordinated by the Joint Air Operations Center in Uden, Germany. Analysts also noted that by the time Szijjártó warned of daily risks, the pattern of routine Russian incursions had already changed. The deterrence achieved this autumn stemmed from coordinated NATO capabilities, including surveillance systems, AWACS aircraft, and modern fighters such as F-35s and Gripens that operated together without Hungarian jets participating in the specific interception. Critics argue that Szijjártó either overlooked or omitted the scale of this NATO operation, which showcased the alliance’s significant technological advantage over Russia.
Experts say Russia has long used Baltic airspace violations to test NATO readiness, map its responses, and probe for weaknesses. However, the 19 September incident broke with earlier patterns: NATO conducted a complex interception designed to demonstrate clear superiority, utilizing passive radar, electronic warfare, and networked data-sharing to overwhelm three Russian MiG-31s without ever revealing aircraft.