BRUSSELS In reaction to the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the European Union has placed sanctions on over 2,400 people and organizations, mostly from Russia. Hungary has agreed to lift its veto and permit the renewal of these measures.
The settlement was reached on Friday, less than 48 hours before the measures were supposed to expire. This ended a dangerous impasse that had left the bloc in a state of extreme uncertainty. Since sanctions must be unanimously renewed every six months, a single member state can sabotage the entire procedure.
Ambassadorial meetings this week have confirmed Hungary’s veto multiple times, with fruitless attempts on Monday, Wednesday, and most recently Thursday afternoon. Each failure sent the clock ticking on.
According to many officials who spoke to Euronews, Budapest insisted that many names be taken from the blacklist. A agreement to free four individuals—three of whom Hungary desired—was ultimately achieved after heated backroom negotiations. Furthermore, three deceased people were not included.
Consequently, the extension for an additional six months was authorized on Friday morning. The restrictions were scheduled to end on Saturday at midnight.
“I suppose they realized their mistake,” a senior official added, alluding to Hungary. “They realized siding with Putin is not the best course of action.”
This is the second time in three months that Viktor Orbán’s administration has alarmed Brussels by threatening to reverse the bloc’s sanctions system, which has been laboriously established since February 2022.
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