NewsEU extends sanctions on Russia, hails Hungary's agreement

EU extends sanctions on Russia, hails Hungary's agreement

EU foreign ministers unanimously decided in Brussels on Monday to extend economic sanctions on Russia, which were initially set to expire this coming Friday. Hungary, which had previously blocked the extension, received assurances that the European Commission would continue negotiating with Ukraine regarding the possibility of gas transit.

Viktor Orban
Viktor Orban
Images source: © Getty Images | 2024 Pier Marco Tacca

To address the risk of Hungary blocking the decision, ambassadors from member countries met in Brussels on Monday morning before the ministers' meeting.

According to an EU source, during the ambassadors' meeting, Hungary was expected to receive guarantees from the European Commission about ongoing talks with Ukraine concerning gas transit. These negotiations will continue, with both Hungary and Slovakia included in the discussions.

Before the ministers' meeting, Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto stated that he expects official guarantees from the European Commission regarding the security of gas supplies. Ukraine has decided not to extend the agreement for the transit of Russian gas, which expired at the end of the year.

Orban waited on Trump

Budapest had been blocking the extension of economic sanctions imposed on Russia due to the war in Ukraine, citing the change of power in the USA as the reason.

After Donald Trump was sworn in as President of the United States, Hungary began demanding guarantees concerning gas transit through Ukraine.

If the member countries had not unanimously decided to extend the restrictions, which they review every six months, the sanctions would have expired at the end of January.

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