The European Union will be able to extend sanctions against Russia before they expire, as Hungary, which threatened to cancel wartime sanctions, has backed down from its initial decision.
According to Politico, six diplomats reported that an agreement was reached by Monday morning, before the deadline next Saturday, which would have allowed Moscow to reclaim billions of frozen assets. All 27 EU countries must renew sanctions every six months.
In exchange for easing sanctions, Hungary secured from EU officials a vague statement on the importance of Ukraine's energy infrastructure in response to Budapest's concerns about the cessation of Russian gas supplies through Ukraine.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban had previously promised to veto the extension of sanctions if Ukraine did not agree to resume Russian gas supplies, which stopped at the beginning of the year. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky refused, insisting that he would not allow Russia to "earn additional billions on our blood".
In a statement read by EU's chief diplomat Kaja Kallas on Monday at a meeting of foreign ministers in Brussels, the focus was mainly on helping Kyiv repair electrical and gas networks in the face of Russian attacks. Nevertheless, there were suggestions that Orban would use this statement to inform his domestic audience that he had achieved the bloc's executive speaking on this issue.
Meanwhile, Hungary did not agree to a joint statement by EU countries regarding the non-recognition of the so-called presidential elections in Belarus, where Alexander Lukashenko "won" for the seventh time. Therefore, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas and EU Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos were forced to publish their statement, declaring the "elections" in Belarus as fictitious and illegitimate.