Hungary Threatens to Derail Russia Sanctions in Ukraine Over Gas Row

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban on Friday threatened to block attempts to renew EU sanctions on Russia, linking his support to his effort to reopen a gas pipeline across Ukraine to Central Europe.

Ukraine allowed a gas transit agreement with Russia to lapse on New Year’s Day as it tries to starve Moscow of revenues to fund its military and prolong the war on Ukraine that the Kremlin launched in February 2022.

Although the move cut gas supplies to some Central European markets, Hungary was largely unaffected.

But Orban – Russia’s main ally in the EU – has blamed Ukraine for a general increase in energy prices and has claimed his country loses billions of euros because of the sanctions.

“We are asking for help. We are asking them [EU leaders] to make the Ukrainians declare that they will restore the gas route,” the nationalist leader told state radio in his regular interview.

Rather than arguing with him, he said EU leaders should be supporting him and arguing with Ukraine.

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“It’s not right that we continue to bear the economic consequences of sanctions to help Ukraine while they are messing with us,” he said, referring to the lapsed pipeline deal.

The European Union has imposed 15 rounds of sanctions on Russia since its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

The EU’s 27 members need to reach a unanimous decision to extend the measures by Jan. 31, and the issue is on the agenda for an EU foreign ministers meeting in Brussels on Monday.

Orban has repeatedly delayed previous decisions on sanctions before eventually approving them.

Last week, the EU’s foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas warned against lifting sanctions, arguing it would give away the bloc’s “leverage” over Russia.

Global leaders including US President Donald Trump are putting pressure on Russian President Vladimir Putin to end the war.

Trump told Fox News on Thursday Moscow would be hit with “massive” tariffs and taxes and “big sanctions” if it did not settle the war soon.