Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban today again threatened to block the renewal of European sanctions against Russia, Agence France-Presse reported, quoted by BTA.
Orban set a condition that he would lift his veto if Brussels persuaded Kiev to restore the transit of Russian gas to Central Europe.
According to him, the EU should focus its efforts on Ukraine, not Hungary. "We want the Europeans to tell the Ukrainians to turn on the gas again," he added.
Last week, EU foreign policy chief Kaia Kallas called for the sanctions not to be lifted.
Two days ago, US President Donald Trump, who considers Viktor Orbán one of the EU's closest allies, personally threatened Russia with taxes, tariffs and sanctions in the absence of a quick agreement on the conflict in Ukraine.
For his part, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot expressed confidence that Hungary would agree to the sanctions being renewed, as it has done in the past.
His Spanish counterpart José Manuel Álvarez Bueno said that "sanctions and their continuation are the best way to work for peace."
Following the Russian invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022, The EU has imposed fifteen sets of sanctions. A decision on their renewal must be taken unanimously by the 27 EU member states by January 31. A meeting of EU foreign ministers is scheduled for early next week.
Orban, who remains close to the Kremlin despite the war, has consistently blamed these sanctions for Hungary's economic difficulties, while refusing to provide military aid to Ukraine.
Orban is unhappy that in early January Ukraine cut off Russian gas supplies to Europe passing through its territory. Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico has also leveled similar criticisms at Kiev.
The suspension of transit through Ukraine only slightly affects Hungary, which receives most of its Russian imports via the "Turkish Stream" pipeline. However, Budapest has said that it "does not want to give up" from the Ukrainian route.
"It is unacceptable that we bear the economic consequences of sanctions and help Ukraine, and that this creates problems for us. We will not allow this to happen," Orbán said.