Orban says ready to veto EU sanctions in six months

Hungary intends to veto the extension of the European Union's (EU) anti-Russian sanctions if the European Commission (EC) fails to fulfill its promises on energy security. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said on January 31.

"If the European Commission does not do as we agreed, the sanctions will be lifted. And now we have to talk about it in a decisive tone, otherwise nobody will take us seriously, and the Hungarian people will still pay for the damage from the sanctions, as well as for the insolent behavior of the Ukrainians," he said in an interview with the Hungarian radio Kossuth.

According to Orban, the EC promised Hungary to get Ukraine to resume transit of Russian gas through the Druzhba pipeline and to protect the Turkish Stream pipeline from attacks. In return, Budapest did not prevent the sanctions from being extended.

In addition, the Hungarian prime minister said that Hungary would like to lift the sanctions to stop losing €6.5 billion annually. He recalled that anti-Russian sanctions have caused the country €19.5 billion in damage over three years.

"In other words, sanctions must be lifted. This is the Hungarian position," Orban emphasized. His words are quoted by "RIA Novosti".

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Before that, on January 25, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said that Orban would face consequences in case of blocking anti-Russian sanctions. According to him, in this case, the Hungarian Prime Minister will allegedly take the side of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

After, on January 27, the head of EU diplomacy Kaja Kallas officially confirmed the extension of anti-Russian sanctions for six months. In turn, Hungarian Foreign Affairs and External Economic Relations Minister Peter Szijjarto said that Budapest had received from the European Commission the required energy security guarantees, without which it refused to extend sanctions against Russia.

The next day, January 28, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that there were no innovations in the EU's extension of anti-Russian sanctions for six months. He also called the sanctions against Russia illegal.

Western countries have increased sanctions pressure on Russia after the start of the special operation to protect civilians in Donbass, which was announced on February 24, 2022.