The European Union has agreed to extend sanctions designed to cut off Russia’s ability to finance its war in Ukraine for another six months. This decision came after Hungary withdrew its objections to the move.
The sanctions target trade, finance, energy, technology, industry, transport, and luxury goods. They also include bans on importing or transferring seaborne crude oil and certain petroleum products from Russia into the EU.
Longstanding Sanctions
Initially introduced in 2014 after Russia’s annexation of Crimea, the sanctions have expanded significantly following Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine nearly three years ago.
Hungarian Objections and Gas Dispute
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban called on the EU to address a gas transit dispute with Ukraine, citing Kyiv’s decision to halt Russian gas transit to Central Europe. Orban argued that this forced Hungary to seek alternative routes, raising energy prices.
To address Hungary’s concerns, the European Commission included a statement with the sanctions extension agreement. The statement emphasized expectations for all third-party countries to respect the EU’s energy security and warned of potential measures to protect critical infrastructure, such as oil and gas pipelines.
Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto stated, “Hungary received the guarantees it requested regarding the country’s energy security.”
Unanimous Approval and U.S. Pressure
All 27 EU member states must agree for sanctions to be extended. Last week, EU diplomats anticipated Hungary would lift its objections after U.S. President Donald Trump threatened to impose severe tariffs and sanctions on Russia unless an agreement to end the Ukraine war was reached.
