On February 23, a meeting of the EU Council was scheduled, at which the 20th package of sanctions against Russia was to be adopted. However, Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said his country would block the new sanctions “until Ukraine resumes oil transit to Hungary and Slovakia via the Druzhba pipeline.”
This was at a briefing after the meeting of the EU Council said the Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto, writes LIGA.NET, informs the portal PromPolitInform.
The new package of sanctions against Russia introduces a ban on the import of a number of metals and raw materials from the Russian Federation. For the first time, ports of third countries will fall under restrictions, the proposal also provides for the use of a tool against circumvention of sanctions against third countries.
At the same time, the Commissioner of the President of Ukraine on sanctions policy Vladislav Vlasyuk noted that, in addition to Hungary, the 20th package of sanctions against Russia is also blocked by Greece and Malta.
EU High Representative for Foreign and Security Policy Kaya Kallas, at the end of the meeting of the EU Council on Foreign Affairs, confirmed that the EU could not adopt sanctions against the Russian Federation, quotes “EP.”
Package of sanctions not adopted
Kallas expressed regret that the European Union was unable to adopt a new package of sanctions against the Russian Federation.
“I am very sorry that we did not reach an agreement today, given that tomorrow is the sad anniversary of the beginning of this war,” the head of European diplomacy said.
Blocking Hungary
Regarding the blocking of the sanctions package by Hungary, the main EU diplomat recalled that “we have already seen this scenario before.”
“And we also saw that we managed to achieve common solutions… Therefore, we are working at different levels with Hungarian and Slovak colleagues to move forward with this package. Of course, it’s not easy, it’s never easy, but the work continues,” Callas added.
On January 27, oil supplies to Hungary and Slovakia through Druzhba were suspended. Then the pipeline was damaged by Russian shelling.
On February 18, Szijjarto said that Hungary had suspended the supply of diesel fuel to Ukraine until the oil supply through Druzhba resumed.
Photo – facebook.com/watch/szijjarto.peter.official
