Hungary vetoes EU sanctions on Russia, military aid for Ukraine

Hungary has vetoed the European Union’s 20th package of sanctions against Russia and a proposed €90 billion “military loan” to Ukraine, citing the blocking of oil transit via the Druzhba pipeline, Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó said following an EU ministerial meeting in Brussels.

“I made it clear that we will not support a 90-billion-euro military loan to Ukraine because the Ukrainians are blackmailing us. They colluded with Brussels and pooled efforts with the Hungarian opposition to jeopardize the security of the Hungarian energy sector and the security of Hungary as a whole,” Szijjártó told Hungarian journalists,  M1 television reports.

The top Hungarian diplomat confirmed that his country also blocked the 20th EU sanctions package that leaders had planned to adopt before February 24. “This is our current position. That is why there was neither the package of sanctions nor the Ukrainian loan today. We made it absolutely clear that our position on this matter can be revised only after the Ukrainians resume oil supplies to Hungary,” he added.

Hungary had previously warned it would veto these EU measures unless oil transit via the Druzhba pipeline was restored. The Hungarian government stated it would continue to block any EU decision in favor of Ukraine until oil flows are resumed.

By Vafa Guliyeva