Hungary signals conditional backing for EU Russia sanctions

Hungarian authorities will support sanctions against Russia provided there is unanimity within the European Union, Hungarian Prime Minister Peter Magyar said.

Magyar made the remarks in an interview with the German magazine, Caliber.Az reports.

“If there is unanimity in the European Union, then of course we will support sanctions [against Russia],” he said.

The European Union has already adopted 20 sanctions packages targeting Russia since the beginning of the war in Ukraine. In April, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said that member state leaders had begun preparations for a 21st package of restrictive measures.

Hungary has previously repeatedly blocked financial assistance to Ukraine and the adoption of sanctions against Russia, often citing the need for consensus among EU member states and concerns over the economic impact of such measures.

By Vafa Guliyeva