Hungary refuses to extend sanctions against Russia automatically, proposes debate
Photo: Gergely Gulyas (Getty Images)
The fate of the European Union's sanctions against Russia was questioned after a senior Hungarian official clarified that their renewal by the end of the month should not be automatic and called for "debate," Bloomberg reports.
Cabinet Minister Gergely Gulyash told reporters that Donald Trump's election in the United States has created a "new situation" that means the renewal of sanctions should not be "automatic."
Gulyash refused to answer repeated questions about whether Prime Minister Viktor Orbán would veto the extension of sanctions or whether an extraordinary EU summit would have to be convened on the issue.
Orbán, who has repeatedly called for the lifting of sanctions against Russia, found himself in an awkward political position after Trump threatened Russia with new tariffs on Wednesday if President Vladimir Putin fails to conclude a "deal" to end the war with Ukraine.
So far, the Hungarian leader has said that Trump will try to end the war by cutting off aid to Ukraine.
EU ambassadors will meet in the coming days to determine whether they can approve the extension, which has been routine until now but requires the unanimous support of the bloc's 27 member states. Several diplomats said there is currently no contingency plan to extend sanctions if Orbán continues blocking them.
EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas expressed some optimism that the EU will reach an agreement to maintain sanctions against Russia until they expire at the end of the month.
"I'm optimistic because we have always reached unity in the end and maintained it until now, so I'm sure we will succeed this time," Kallas said, referring to previous discussions on sanctions.
