Hungary throws another sanctions veto at the EU
EU ambassadors are due to meet again on Wednesday afternoon to decide on a 10th package of sanctions against Russia, after Hungary objected to the new sanctions list on Tuesday. It has now become customary for the Hungarian government, led by Viktor Orbán, to block the adoption of sanctions, and this time they object to the inclusion of four people on the list, Politico reports, citing diplomatic sources.
One diplomat said there were also legal concerns about whether the sanctions against the four individuals would have merit in court, and that since the sanctions should now be extended against all 1,400 private individuals from Russia, Ukraine, and Belarus who are on the ban list because of the war in Ukraine,
if Hungary vetoes the sanctions, they would all have to be removed. So the European Council is inclined to comply with Hungary's request.
But there is another problem for the Orbán government: they also oppose the proposal - supported by all other countries - to extend the sanctions in force for twelve months instead of six. According to Politico sources, this would give Budapest less opportunity to torpedo sanctions and derail EU decisions.
A preliminary compromise to be discussed by ambassadors today includes a nine-month renewal period instead of the current six-month period, the same diplomats told the Brussels paper.
But the Hungarian government also objects to what Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia and Poland are now pushing to include in the restrictions: they propose that the application of sanctions against convicted oligarchs should be extended without delay to "their immediate family members, or other natural persons, benefitting from them."
Including oligarchs' family members and other associates of oligarchs would make it possible to sanctions thousands more people without having to prove that they are directly involved in the war in Ukraine or acting in the economic interest of the Russian state. This could, for example, apply to the ex-wife of Russian President Vladimir Putin, Lyudmila Ocheretnaya, whose daughters have been sanctioned but has not been herself, and other members of the oligarchs' entourage.
EU officials are said to be unsurprised by the new Hungarian veto, and are also hopeful that a solution will be found by 24 February, the one-year anniversary of the war. But a growing number of politicians have reportedly expressed concern about the situation that could arise when Hungary takes over the EU presidency in 2024. Some say that EU leaders should face reality and even suspend Hungary's voting rights to prevent a Viktor Orbán-like leadership from hijacking EU measures.
Cover photo: European Union
