The European Union wants to speed up the adoption of a new package of sanctions against Russia
24 April 16:18
Following the election defeat of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán—who for many years blocked sanctions against Moscow—Russia now faces a significant tightening of restrictive measures from the EU, according to "Komersant Ukrainian", citing DW.
European Union Foreign Policy Chief Kaja Kallas announced after consultations at the EU summit on Friday, April 24, in Cyprus that European leaders are pushing for the 21st sanctions package to be prepared as soon as possible.
“This would send a clear signal to Moscow that the EU has no intention of scaling back its support for Ukraine,” she said.
Kallas noted that it is now possible to return to discussing measures that were previously not considered due to Hungary’s position.
“Among the possible new sanctions are restrictions targeting a new group of Russian oligarchs and representatives of the Russian Orthodox Church who support the war against Ukraine,” Callas added.
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The day before, on April 23, the EU adopted its 20th sanctions package, which had been blocked by Orbán for more than two months. This package is aimed at reducing Russia’s revenue from oil and gas exports. In addition, the measures provide for cutting off a new group of financial institutions from international payments and introducing additional trade restrictions.
Tusk’s Outburst
At the first meeting of EU leaders following the parliamentary elections in Hungary, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk took a jab at the Hungarian prime minister.
“For the first time in many years, there were no Russians in the room—if you know what I mean,” he told reporters in Nicosia on Friday.
Orbán is considered the main ally of Russian dictator Vladimir Putin in the EU. In the parliamentary elections on April 12, his Fidesz party suffered a crushing defeat at the hands of the Tisa party, led by opposition leader Péter Magyar. Orbán retains his powers until the new government takes office. He is not, however, present at the summit in Cyprus.
The Scandal Surrounding Péter Szijjártó
The Hungarian government’s pro-Russian stance has repeatedly been a source of conflict within the EU—primarily due to its blocking of decisions regarding aid to Ukraine and sanctions against Russia.
A new scandal erupted in March. According to media reports, Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó regularly relayed the confidential content of EU internal negotiations to his Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov —calling him during breaks between meetings to share information “in real time.”
However, not all participants at the Cyprus summit shared Tusk’s joy over Orbán’s departure. Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever stated that there was “too much euphoria” due to the absence of the long-serving Hungarian prime minister.
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