Race against time to make Hungary renew EU sanctions before deadline
European Union countries are in a race against time to convince Hungary to renew the sanctions that the European Union has imposed on more than 2,400 individuals and entities, mainly from Russia, in response to the full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Sanctions need to be renewed every six months by unanimity.
The veto has played out throughout the week in meetings between ambassadors. After unsuccessful attempts on Monday and Wednesday, envoys gathered again on Thursday, hoping a breakthrough could be found. But this was not the case.
Hungary has demanded several names be removed from the blacklist, several diplomats told Euronews. The names have not been made public. Radio Free Europe previouslyreported the identity of seven oligarchs, including Mikhail Fridman and Dmitry Mazepin, and Russia's sports minister as part of Hungary's request.
The deadlock puts the bloc in a situation of extraordinary suspense: the sanctions are set to expire at 23:59 CET on Saturday and there is no immediate Plan B to replace them.
Ambassadors are scheduled to meet on Friday morning, although another attempt before then is not ruled out, given the pace at which the clock is ticking.
"We are working full steam on Plan A," said a diplomat with knowledge of the process. "There's still time for Plan A to materialise. I wouldn't like to engage in speculation."
"I keep my fingers crossed for a successful outcome," the diplomat added.
The saga marks the second time in three months that Viktor Orbán's government has put Brussels on edge by threatening to undo the sanctions regime that the bloc has painstakingly built since February 2022.
In January, it took exception to sectoral sections, which cover sweeping bans on oil, coal, technology, finance, luxury goods, transport and broadcasting, and the freezing of €210 billion in assets from Russia's Central Bank. Budapest eventually relented.
This time, it set its sights on the blacklist that includes hundreds of military commanders, government officials, oligarchs, propagandists and Wagner Group mercenaries, as well as President Vladimir Putin and his foreign minister, Sergey Lavrov, among others.
The blacklist also targets hundreds of Russian companies in the military, banking, transport, energy, diamond, aviation, IT, telecoms and media sectors.
Hungary argues that Donald Trump's inauguration as US president and his efforts to strike a peace deal merit a rethink of EU support for Ukraine and EU sanctions on Russia.
The position is not shared by other member states, who believe pressure on Moscow should continue for the duration of the war. They also want to pursue a "peace through strength" strategy to reinforce Ukraine's standing in the negotiations and establish the country's armed forces as an effective security guarantee.
Orbán disagrees with the "peace through strength" mantra and last week prevented the adoption of joint conclusions on Ukraine at the end of a special EU summit, forcing his fellow leaders to release an attached "extract" signed off by 26.
"Hungary has a different strategic approach on Ukraine," said António Costa, the president of the European Council. "That means that Hungary is isolated among the 27. We respect Hungary's position, but it's one out of 27. And 26 are more than one."
The stark political divergence played out during the talks among ambassadors, with Hungary managing to block the roll-over on at least three separate occasions this week.
The veto comes two days after US and Ukrainian officials announced significant progress in their negotiations, easing tensions between both sides.
Ukraine said it was ready to implement an interim 30-day ceasefire provided Russia reciprocated, while the US agreed to immediately lift the suspension on military assistance and intelligence-sharing with Kyiv, which caused consternation in Brussels.
"Ball is in Russia's court," said US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
In response, Vladimir Putin asked for certain "nuances" to be clarified, such as how the ceasefire would be monitored on the ground, before committing to the proposal.
The European Commission confirmed on Thursday that it was already working on a 17th package of sanctions against Russia.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
LeMonde
42 minutes ago
- LeMonde
Russia appoints General Sergei Surovikin as head of its military advisers in Algeria
Sergei Surovikin, the former commander of Russian forces in Ukraine, vanished from public view following the mutiny of the paramilitary Wagner Group in June 2023. He has now resurfaced in Algeria, having been given a new mission by the Kremlin. The general was recently seen at the Dely Ibrahim military cemetery near Algiers, taking part in commemorations of the "Great Patriotic War" against Nazi Germany (1941 – 1945), alongside a delegation from the Russian diplomatic mission. Several photographs posted on the embassy's Telegram channel on May 9 show Surovikin wearing sunglasses and an oversized civilian suit, standing next to Alexey Solomatine, Russia's ambassador to Algiers, and Vladimir Tsukanov, the military attaché. The sight was hardly remarkable in itself, as Surovikin had been accustomed to visiting Algeria at least once a year, according to brief reports by the Russian press ; he was in Oran in 2023 and in Algiers in 2024. This time, however, the caption accompanying the photographs revealed a first: It specified Surovikin's new posting as "head of the group of Russian military advisers in Algeria." With this, the Russian embassy in the North African country officially announced his new assignment, confirming Moscow's growing commitment to Algeria – notably through the increased presence of its military advisers.
Euronews
2 hours ago
- Euronews
Istanbul mayor boycotts court hearing in expert witness case
Istanbul's jailed opposition Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu and his legal team have boycotted a court hearing on Thursday after they claimed that a late change in venue for the proceedings was 'unlawful'. The case, one of many criminal allegations Imamoglu is facing, was over comments the Istanbul mayor made on an expert witness, over the prosecution of other officials from his Republican People's Party, or CHP. In a statement, the CHP said neither Imamoglu nor his legal team would attend Thursday's hearing due to a change in venue through 'unlawful procedures.' Imamoglu, in a post from jail, described the hearing as 'irregular' and said it 'does not comply with the principles of the trial. I refuse to be a part of such a process and therefore I will not attend this hearing.' CHP Istanbul Provincial Chairman Ozgur Celik posted on X that the mayor's hearing had been moved from Caglayan courthouse in central Istanbul, to Silivri prison – where Imamoglu is being held – in western Istanbul, only 24 hours earlier. Imamoglu was arrested in almost three months ago, alongside other prominent political figures. His home was raided early morning on 19 March, as part of an investigation into alleged corruption and links to terror organisations. His arrest triggered weeks of nationwide protests calling for his release. Protesters believe Imamoglu, seen by many as President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's main political rival in the next presidential elections, was arrested for political reasons. The protests, which often turned violent, results in hundreds of arrests, many of whom are also on trial for 'inciting violence'. The demonstrations were the biggest Turkey has seen in over a decade. A conviction in any of the cases Imamoglu is facing could see the Istanbul mayor banned from holding or running for public office. Prosecutors have requested a prison sentence of two to four years and a political ban on charges of 'attempting to influence' an expert witness in the case. The hearing was adjourned to 26 September. Emerging priorities such as defence and competitiveness are increasingly drawing resources away from other sectors, raising concerns that health – a key focus of the previous EU mandate – may pay the highest price in the upcoming long-term EU budget. The European Commission is expected to unveil its proposal for the next seven-year budget in July. However, early leaks and mounting speculation suggest that the dedicated health fund could be merged with broader funding instruments, or potentially scrapped altogether. Although health policy is primarily the responsibility of national governments, EU member states allocated €5.3 billion for health through the EU4Health programme in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. This marked the first time a standalone health budget was created at the EU level. Prior to this, EU health initiatives operated with much smaller resources: The health programme for 2014–2020 had a total budget of just €450 million, significantly less than EU4Health. Since its launch, EU4Health has financed a range of initiatives, such as a recent €1.3 million project to address the nursing shortage across Europe by promoting the profession in countries most affected. Yet many fear that the programme will not survive the next programming cycle. Even some EU officials have hinted that EU4Health may have been a one-time measure. Lawmakers have raised alarms about the potential disappearance of EU4Health and its impact on flagship initiatives from the previous term, such as the Beating Cancer Plan. Croatian MEP Tomislav Sokol pointed out the importance of maintaining a dedicated health budget since health has become one of the most important topics in the EU after the pandemic. For this reason, the EU has opted to create a separate health programme within the bloc's budget to support initiatives like the EU health data space and the European reference networks. 'If we're not able to protect this, I'm afraid this will all be diluted and absorbed by some other big funds in the budget, and we will lose this focus on healthcare that we have now,' he told Euronews. Sokol also cited newer priorities like the Critical Medicines Act, arguing that they, too, will require substantial EU funding. "Of course, healthcare remains largely a national responsibility, but EU support is needed to create a level playing field across member states," he added. Concerns over future health investment stem in part from recent budget reallocations. In February 2024, approximately €1 billion was redirected from EU4Health to help finance an aid package for Ukraine. The looming cuts are causing anxiety in the health sector. The PHSSR – a coalition of academics, policymakers, and politicians working on sustainable health systems – highlighted the need for continued investment in a recent report ahead of the Commission's proposal. In an interview with Euronews, AstraZeneca senior vice-president Greg Rossi, who participated in the PHSSR, stressed that Europe risks falling behind in life sciences. "We're seeing massive innovation and opportunity in improving health outcomes. My area, cancer, has seen extraordinary advances in the last 10 to 15 years. But Europe is losing ground," he said, adding that research and development funding has declined, with clinical trials increasingly moving out of Europe. He warned that, without specific health investment initiatives like a dedicated EU health funding, access to innovation will worsen, health outcomes will deteriorate, and Europe's competitive edge will erode. 'Health is an investment to be made, not a cost to be managed. And if we do so, we'll improve the health and the wealth of our countries,' he said. The European Commission is preparing a comprehensive overhaul of the its long-term budget, also known as Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) post-2027. The aim is to make it simpler, more effective, and more aligned with evolving policy priorities. Currently, the MFF stands at around €1.2 trillion – roughly 1% of the EU's GDP. Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is considering a major restructuring of the MFF for 2028–2034, possibly moving away from the current system of over 50 EU-level programmes. Budget Commissioner Piotr Serafin previously indicated that the next budget proposal will focus on "fewer, more focused programmes" and a more strategic, ambitious framework. The European Commission's proposal, expected in mid-July, will offer the first concrete signal of what lies ahead for health funding in the EU.
Euronews
4 hours ago
- Euronews
EU long-term budget: Is health funding on the chopping block?
Emerging priorities such as defence and competitiveness are increasingly drawing resources away from other sectors, raising concerns that health – a key focus of the previous EU mandate – may pay the highest price in the upcoming long-term EU budget. The European Commission is expected to unveil its proposal for the next seven-year budget in July. However, early leaks and mounting speculation suggest that the dedicated health fund could be merged with broader funding instruments, or potentially scrapped altogether. Although health policy is primarily the responsibility of national governments, EU member states allocated €5.3 billion for health through the EU4Health programme in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. This marked the first time a standalone health budget was created at the EU level. Prior to this, EU health initiatives operated with much smaller resources: The health programme for 2014–2020 had a total budget of just €450 million, significantly less than EU4Health. Since its launch, EU4Health has financed a range of initiatives, such as a recent €1.3 million project to address the nursing shortage across Europe by promoting the profession in countries most affected. Yet many fear that the programme will not survive the next programming cycle. Even some EU officials have hinted that EU4Health may have been a one-time measure. Lawmakers have raised alarms about the potential disappearance of EU4Health and its impact on flagship initiatives from the previous term, such as the Beating Cancer Plan. Croatian MEP Tomislav Sokol pointed out the importance of maintaining a dedicated health budget since health has become one of the most important topics in the EU after the pandemic. For this reason, the EU has opted to create a separate health programme within the bloc's budget to support initiatives like the EU health data space and the European reference networks. 'If we're not able to protect this, I'm afraid this will all be diluted and absorbed by some other big funds in the budget, and we will lose this focus on healthcare that we have now,' he told Euronews. Sokol also cited newer priorities like the Critical Medicines Act, arguing that they, too, will require substantial EU funding. "Of course, healthcare remains largely a national responsibility, but EU support is needed to create a level playing field across member states," he added. Concerns over future health investment stem in part from recent budget reallocations. In February 2024, approximately €1 billion was redirected from EU4Health to help finance an aid package for Ukraine. The looming cuts are causing anxiety in the health sector. The PHSSR – a coalition of academics, policymakers, and politicians working on sustainable health systems – highlighted the need for continued investment in a recent report ahead of the Commission's proposal. In an interview with Euronews, AstraZeneca senior vice-president Greg Rossi, who participated in the PHSSR, stressed that Europe risks falling behind in life sciences. "We're seeing massive innovation and opportunity in improving health outcomes. My area, cancer, has seen extraordinary advances in the last 10 to 15 years. But Europe is losing ground," he said, adding that research and development funding has declined, with clinical trials increasingly moving out of Europe. He warned that, without specific health investment initiatives like a dedicated EU health funding, access to innovation will worsen, health outcomes will deteriorate, and Europe's competitive edge will erode. 'Health is an investment to be made, not a cost to be managed. And if we do so, we'll improve the health and the wealth of our countries,' he said. The European Commission is preparing a comprehensive overhaul of the its long-term budget, also known as Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) post-2027. The aim is to make it simpler, more effective, and more aligned with evolving policy priorities. Currently, the MFF stands at around €1.2 trillion – roughly 1% of the EU's GDP. Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is considering a major restructuring of the MFF for 2028–2034, possibly moving away from the current system of over 50 EU-level programmes. Budget Commissioner Piotr Serafin previously indicated that the next budget proposal will focus on "fewer, more focused programmes" and a more strategic, ambitious framework. The European Commission's proposal, expected in mid-July, will offer the first concrete signal of what lies ahead for health funding in the EU.
