Russia says Orbán, Fico weigh EU plan to tap frozen assets

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova has said that Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico are taking into account the potential consequences of the European Union’s plans to use Russia’s frozen assets.

Zakharova argued that the situation reflects the influence of officials in key EU positions whose appointments, she claimed, are intended to prevent member states from creating “competitive inconveniences” for NATO allies, particularly the United States and the United Kingdom, Caliber.Az reports via Russian media.

She criticised these officials for allegedly lacking a clear vision for the EU’s future and accused them of acting in ways that undermine the bloc, effectively pushing it “downhill” instead of guiding it on a positive trajectory.

Zakharova framed the EU’s current policy approach as counterproductive and damaging to its own interests.

Earlier, Orbán bas once again 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.

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