EU Extends Sanctions on Russia After Hungary Ends Weeks of Resistance

The European Union has decided to extend its sanctions against Russia over the war in Ukraine after Hungary finally agreed on Monday, Jan. 27, ending weeks of stalling.

“EU foreign ministers just agreed to extend again the sanctions on Russia. This will continue to deprive Moscow of revenues to finance its war,” the bloc’s foreign affairs chief Kaja Kallas wrote on X.

The EU’s 27 member states must unanimously approve extending the sanctions every six months, with the next deadline looming on Jan. 31. Hungary -- one of Russia’s closest allies in the EU -- frustrated other members by refusing to approve the latest extension.

Initially, Budapest claimed it wanted to wait for new US President Donald Trump’s inauguration to move forward. After that, Prime Minister Viktor Orban demanded that Brussels push Ukraine to reopen a gas pipeline to Central Europe.

To win Hungary over, the European Commission issued a statement promising to involve Hungary and Slovakia in talks with Kyiv about gas supplies to Europe. The EU also said it would “approach Ukraine to request assurances regarding the maintenance of oil pipeline transfers to the EU.”

“Hungary has received the guarantees it has asked for on the energy security of our country,” Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said on Facebook.

Ukraine let a gas transit agreement with Russia lapse on New Year’s Day to cut off funds Moscow uses to finance its war, which started in February 2022.

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Orban has repeatedly delayed approving EU sanctions on Russia in the past, only agreeing after lengthy negotiations. Officials warned that allowing Hungary to block the sanctions could weaken Kyiv’s Western allies’ leverage over Moscow ahead of any possible peace talks.