Hungary blocks new EU sanctions targeting Russia, and off-budget military support for Ukraine
Szijjártó also denounced the fact that Hungarian minority schools would have to close from September due to Ukrainian laws, that eight Chinese companies would also be placed on the 11th EU sanctions list, and that the Ukrainian President has also threatened to blow up the branch of the Friendship oil pipeline to Hungary, according to leaked reports.
Overall, he stressed the main reason behind the decision to block the EU procedures is relating to OTP Bank.
Until the Ukrainians remove OTP from the list of internationals sponsors of [Russia's] war, Hungary obviously cannot take part in the decisions on the European Peace Facility and the sanctions,
he said.
The forint has taken a blow over Szijjártó's announcement and weakened to almost 372 against the euro from 369. The minister is practically saying that Hungary has once again taken the sanctions process hostage and no unanimous decision in the EU can be made either on the 11th sanctions package or the disbursement of the next (8th) tranche of the EPF, an off-budget tool aimed at enhancing the EU's ability to prevent conflicts, build peace and strengthen international security, for quite some time.
Cover photo: Péter Szijjártó Facebook page
