Hungary’s blockade no longer works: a new package of EU sanctions against Russia is on the way
8 July 2025 21:06
European countries may agree this week to adopt a new – 18th – package of sanctions against Russia. This was stated by Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration Olha Stefanishyna on the air of a national telethon, citing diplomatic sources, "Komersant Ukrainian" reports.
The official said the following:
“According to my information, this week European countries will reach an agreement on the 18th package of sanctions together with Slovakia and Hungary.
Stefanishyna also recalled that when the 17th package of sanctions was being agreed upon, it was Hungary that blocked its approval until the very end. In addition, the sanctions could not take effect for almost a day. This is the first time in the EU’s history that formal delays have actually neutralized the speed of the Union’s response to Russia’s actions.
In this regard, according to the Vice Prime Minister, a number of EU countries have initiated legal preparations for a mechanism to remove Russian assets from sanctions procedures in order to avoid the need to periodically renew decisions to block them. Such a step would remove the issue from the Hungarian veto agenda and unblock the further use of these assets in favor of Ukraine.
Russia is losing control over Hungary’s “valve”
“Hungary has devalued this discourse so much that it is no longer about how to use the frozen Russian assets, but only about keeping them frozen,” Stefanyshyna emphasized.
According to her, such a shift in priorities demonstrates a deep crisis of trust within the EU, as well as the lack of transparency of the political motives of individual governments, especially Budapest. At the same time, she noted that Hungary’s certain “negotiating power” in the context of the 18th package became possible precisely because Russia is losing its ability to influence critical decisions through individual European capitals.
“That’s why we are optimistic, but, of course, this greatly undermines the credibility of sanctions in general and reduces their pressure element,” she added.
Read also: Ukraine imposes sanctions against Russian cryptocurrency schemes
The EU needs radical leadership
According to the Vice Prime Minister, the European Union should act not only in a coordinated manner, but also in a tough and decisive manner in terms of enlargement, sanctions policy and defense cooperation.
This should not be a matter of discussion, it should be a matter of conditions. And without this, the EU will unfortunately lose if such political determination is not at the level of the whole of Europe, but at the level of individual leaders,” Stefanishyna emphasized.
She added that for Ukraine, this firmness is not a political issue, but an existential challenge. After all, further assistance, security guarantees, and fair punishment of Russia are conditions not only for peace but also for the preservation of the Ukrainian state project itself.
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