Hungary Blocks EU’s 20th Sanctions Package Against Russia

According to the International Desk of Webangah News Agency, Kaja Kallas, the EU’s foreign policy chief, has announced a lack of progress in adopting the bloc’s twentieth sanctions package targeting Russia. Kallas attributed the impasse to Hungary’s opposition and indicated that while discussions are ongoing, significant advancement is improbable.

Earlier, Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs Péter Szijjártó had stated that his country would obstruct the approval of this sanctions package. He cited Kyiv’s failure to resume the transit of Russian oil to Hungary and Slovakia via the Druzhba pipeline as the reason for this stance.

Relations between Hungary and Ukraine have been strained in recent years due to issues including the status of the Hungarian minority in the Zakarpattia region and Kyiv’s language and education laws. Following the commencement of the Ukraine war, the Hungarian government has opposed providing military and financial support to Kyiv, viewing it as a factor that could prolong the conflict.