Budapest says that the EU should talk to Trump before making a decision on extending sanctions against the Russian Federation

Hungary has not yet decided whether to support the extension of European Union sanctions against Russia due at the end of this month, and believes the EU should make a decision on the matter only after consultations with the new US administration of Donald Trump, Hungary’s minister for EU affairs said on Thursday. Janos Boka, writes UNN with reference to Reuters.

Details

“I think it is quite natural that, before we decide to extend the sanctions for another six months, we will ask the new US administration how they see the future of the sanctions regime,” Minister Janos Boka told reporters in Brussels.

“There is no decision yet on Hungary’s position,” Boka added. “We want to postpone making a decision until we know how the US administration sees the future of the sanctions regime.”

The EU has approved 15 packages of sanctions against Russia since Moscow invaded Ukraine in 2022 and is working on a 16th package.

The sanctions, which will be extended, concern various sectors of the economy and freeze the assets of the Russian central bank, Boka said.

The EU extends current sanctions every six months, and this requires the unanimous decision of its 27 member states.

Hungary maintains closer economic and political relations with Moscow than other EU countries, the publication notes.

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