Hungary is ready to support extending EU sanctions against Russia for another year, - Bloomberg
Hungary is ready to support the extension of European Union sanctions against Russia for one year. Such a move could mark a significant shift in Budapest’s stance on EU sanctions policy.
According to Censor.NET, Bloomberg reports this.
Hungary has changed its position
According to the agency’s sources, during a meeting of EU ambassadors, Hungary supported a proposal to extend anti-Russian sanctions for 12 months.
European Council President António Costa is expected to put the initiative forward for consideration later this month.
Previously, they had only agreed to a six-month extension
Since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, EU sanctions have been extended every six months.
Hungary has repeatedly exercised its veto power and demanded separate negotiations on sanctions packages, which has complicated the process of extending them.
New government moves away from Orbán’s course
Bloomberg notes that the decision may signal a shift in the foreign policy course of Prime Minister Péter Magyar’s new government.
The publication describes this as a departure from the more Moscow-friendly policy pursued by former Prime Minister Viktor Orbán.
No official confirmation yet
At the same time, a representative of the Hungarian government told reporters that he cannot officially confirm the information about support for a one-year extension of the sanctions at this time.
Unanimous support from all 27 European Union member states is required for the decision to be adopted.
