Orban called the decision to change the procedure for freezing Russian assets a historic mistake.

The decision of the European Union (EU) to change the procedure for freezing Russian assets is a mistake. This was announced on December 17 by Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban.

"The decision to extend frozen Russian assets every six months, which was always taken unanimously, has been reversed. <...> I think this is a historic mistake," he told reporters in Brussels.

According to the Prime Minister, the relevant decision can have "very serious consequences", as it is a "serious violation of the law."

A wave of discussion: how the European Union is trying to hinder the peace process in Ukraine

The EU promised Kiev joint security guarantees with the United States and announced new sanctions against Russia.

On December 3, the European Commission approved a potential "reparation loan" for Ukraine, implying the expropriation of sovereign Russian assets in Europe. Later, on December 12, Politico newspaper reported that Italy, Belgium, Bulgaria, Malta opposed the EU proposal to transfer frozen assets of the Russian Federation to Ukraine. It was specified that their amount is approximately €210 billion.

Russian Leader Vladimir Putin noted on November 27 that the confiscation of Russian assets located in the EU would have negative consequences. In turn, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on December 15 that the situation with frozen Russian assets demonstrates that "theft is in the blood of Europeans."

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