Hungary’s Orbán reveals letter to Putin over EU plan to use Russian assets

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has written to Russian President Vladimir Putin seeking clarification on how Moscow would respond if the European Union were to access frozen Russian assets, and whether Russia would differentiate between individual EU member states based on how they vote on the issue.

Speaking to journalists aboard a flight to Brussels, Orbán said the Kremlin’s response made clear that Russia would react “forcefully” to any decision to use the frozen assets, while also taking note of the positions taken by individual EU countries at the bloc’s summit, Caliber.Az reports via Hungarian media.

Orbán reiterated Hungary’s opposition to accessing the assets, arguing that such a move would represent a new level of escalation in the conflict with Russia. At the same time, he said Hungary would not suffer negative consequences if a majority of EU member states decided to proceed with the plan.

Hungary has repeatedly blocked or challenged EU efforts to use frozen Russian assets to support Ukraine. Budapest has filed legal challenges at the EU Court of Justice and has refused to approve sanctions or financing mechanisms that would redirect the assets toward military aid for Kyiv.

Discussions on the issue are continuing among EU diplomats, with the bloc’s 27 envoys set to revisit the proposal later on December 18. The renewed talks come amid signs of limited diplomatic progress toward ending Russia’s nearly four-year full-scale war in Ukraine, following a meeting of Western leaders and US envoys in Berlin on December 15.

By Sabina Mammadli