Hungary has issued a threat to block the latest package of sanctions against Russia unless it receives assurances regarding the resumption of gas supplies through Ukraine.
Hungary is demanding that the European Union remove eight individuals from the latest fresh sanctions list against Russia or it will withhold its approval of the new extension, Reuters reports, citing European diplomats in Brussels. As another condition for signing off on the new sanctions package, the Central European country is also seeking new guarantees on the resumption of gas transit negotiations with Ukraine.
EU diplomats declined to disclose the names of the eight people Hungary wants removed from the sanctions list.
Hungary’s reported move, which threatens to block the extension, comes on the heels of the EU’s adoption of its 16th package of sanctions against Russia, considered the most extensive economic and financial restrictions on Moscow to date, as the war in Ukraine enters its fourth year. The latest package targets 48 individuals and 35 entities that were not included in previous sanctions.
EU sanctions against Russia must be renewed unanimously every six months, with the approval of each of the 27 EU members for the sanctions to be implemented.
This is not the first time that Hungary has used the renewal as an opportunity to seek concessions. In January, Hungary objected to the renewal of the economic section of the sanctions, which included freezing Moscow’s central bank assets, unless the EU persuaded Ukraine to resume gas transit from Russia to Europe. Budapest backed down from its demand after the European Commission agreed to hold talks with Ukraine on resuming natural gas supplies and to include both Hungary and Slovakia in the talks.
Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó, a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, said that Hungry will not agree “to rushing forward by extending the regime of sanctions against individuals.”. He added that Hungary would also not agree to “paying another ten billions of euros for arms shipments.”
This is not the first time that Szijjártó has publicly spoken out against the sanctions. Last month, ahead of the vote to approve the economic sanctions, he said that the sanctions imposed on Russia “have failed miserably.”
“These measures have caused enormous damage to Europe, including our country… At the same time, Ukraine continues to take steps that threaten Hungarian and Central European energy security,” he wrote in a statement before Hungary withdrew its objection and voted in favor of renewing the sanctions.
Hungary is pressing for Ukraine to reopen the transnational gas pipeline that allowed Russian gas to flow through Ukrainian territory to several European countries. The pipeline was shut down on January 1, the day the transit deal expired, after Kyiv refused to negotiate a new agreement.
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