Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has reportedly resisted extending the measures for economic reasons
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban is blocking an extension of sanctions imposed by the European Union on Russia over the conflict in Ukraine, Bloomberg reported on Wednesday. The sanctions, set to expire on January 31, require unanimous approval from the bloc’s 27 member states every six months.
The newspaper, citing several diplomats whose names were not mentioned, said that there is currently no alternative plan to extend the sanctions if Hungary continues its protest.
Orban is a frequent critic of the sanctions regime imposed by the European Union. On Tuesday, he reiterated his position that the 15 rounds of restrictions imposed on Moscow were causing further damage to the bloc’s economies.
‘It’s time to throw sanctions out the window’ He said in an interview with Radio Kossuth last Friday, adding that the EU’s target in 2025 should be “Establishing a sanctions-free relationship with Russia”
Bloomberg said that the bloc’s ambassadors will hold several meetings this week to break the impasse. If they fail, the matter will be escalated to its foreign ministers, according to the article. They are scheduled to meet on January 27 in Brussels, just days before the sanctions end.
According to a Bloomberg report in December, Orban surprised his counterparts at the EU summit by saying he was not ready to support extending sanctions until US President Donald Trump took office.
The Financial Times reported earlier that European Union officials were concerned that Trump might cancel some US restrictions against Russia. “Simply because they have been taken before [Joe] Biden.”
However, Trump threatened to impose new sanctions and higher import tariffs on Wednesday, urging Russia to end the Ukrainian conflict and launch an attack on Ukraine. “deal.”
Orban has long been at odds with Brussels over its approach to Ukraine, opposing aid to Kiev and sanctions on Moscow. Tensions rose after he met with Russian President Vladimir Putin as part of a “peace mission” in Ukraine in July 2024.
The European Union declared ending its dependence on Russian energy a key priority after the Ukrainian conflict escalated in February 2022. Sanctions and sabotage of the Nord Stream pipelines later that year led to a significant reduction in Russian gas supplies to the bloc. This led to higher energy prices and higher inflation.
Orban previously said that European companies and industries cannot focus on development goals and growth opportunities when there is an ongoing war, so everything must be done to end the conflict in Ukraine.
Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjártó warned in October that Hungary might block EU sanctions on Russia if the bloc’s policies put its energy security at risk. He added that Budapest would only allow restrictions if it maintained its current exemptions on Russian energy supplies.
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