— Now, the question of extending sanctions is on the agenda, I have pulled a handbrake and asked European leaders to realize that this cannot continue," said Prime Minister Viktor Orban in an interview with the state broadcaster Kossuth Radio. — Hungary cannot be forced to pay the price of sanctions in specified proportions.
Orban's comments came just before officials met in Brussels to effort re-approval of a immense EU sanction package for Russia, severely reducing trade in this country and freezing almost 200 billion euro (about PLN 843 billion) of its state assets. All 27 EU countries must renew sanctions all six months.
The anger of the Hungarian leader is directed at fresh expiry of the agreement between Moscow and Kiev on maintaining the flow of inexpensive Russian gas to Europe. Orban and Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico claim that the failure of supplies will have tragic consequences for their energy and safety costs. However, Ukraine powerfully refuses to renew the agreement and the EU claims that both countries can easy find another sources of fuel.
AFP photograph / X ACCOUNT OF HUNGARY'S PRIME MINISTER VIKTOR ORBAN @PM_ViktorOrban / East NewsViktor Orban and Donald Trump at Mar-a-Lago residence in Palm Beach, 11 July 2024.
This is simply a change in Orban's message, which previously argued that the EU should wait to see, What Donald Trump will do on sanctions imposed on Russia before renewing its own. However, this week he lost that line of attack after Trump unexpectedly He threatened Vladimir Putin with further sanctions. Now the Hungarian Prime Minister is moving his attention to Ukraine.
“The Ukrainians, while it is in their interest to impose sanctions, are now manipulating Hungary, even with respect to energy, due to the fact that they do not let gas to flow from Russia to Hungary,” said Orban.
“Hungary likes drama”
Nevertheless, 3 diplomats with cognition of the sanctions talks said they inactive anticipate the populist prime minister finally authorises the re-approval of sanctions, possibly on Monday, erstwhile abroad ministers meet in Brussels. The authorities have time to scope an agreement by next Friday.
One of the EU envoys, who, like others, have been given anonymity to talk freely about closed discussions, expects renewal to take place on Monday, even though Hungary expressed ‘restricted’ during preparatory meetings. “They like drama,” the diplomat jokes.
The agenda of the Monday gathering shows that Hungary has not yet issued a verdict on what they will do. Diplomats consider it a affirmative sign — a clue that Orban did not tell his officials to veto the extension.
— We will see, says the second EU diplomat. — Hungary operates in a reasonably transactional way. Are they going to ask about the energy? present there are no demands on the table, he says. He adds that ‘in Brussels they have heard nothing’ from Orban's squad since Trump's inauguration.
Orban-Trump relations were carefully watched this week in Brussels, and officials wanted to see how the Hungarian leader would effort to exploit possession an ideological ally in the White House. Since Wednesday, sanction supporters have been eager to usage Trump's aggressive approach to Putin, calling on Hungary to step down.
— I hope that the Hungarian government has read the message from the president of the United States," said Polish abroad Minister Radosław Sikorski at the planet economical Forum in Davos, Switzerland, expressing hope that the EU can not only approve refinancing, but also adopt further sanctions packages.
