EU extends sanctions against Russia for another six months despite threats from Hungary

Eduardo González The EU Foreign Affairs Council (FAC) has extended this Monday for another six months, until July 31, 2025, the sanctions against Russia in response to “the unprovoked, unjustified and illegal military aggression” against Ukraine. Shortly before, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, José Manuel Albares, declared that “any attempt by any Member State (in reference to Hungary) to “block” the sanctions is not acceptable.” “These economic measures, which were first adopted in 2014, have been significantly extended since February 2022 in response to the unprovoked, unjustified and illegal military aggression by Russia against Ukraine,” the Council said in a press release. To push through the extension of sanctions beyond 31 January, unanimity of the 27 was required, and to do so, Hungary had to be persuaded to back down on its threat of a veto. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán had threatened to block the renewal of sanctions following Ukraine's decision to cut off the flow of Russian gas through its territory. Diplomatic sources quoted by Euronews indicated that, in order to appease Hungary's concerns, the 27 agreed to include a declaration on "the integrity of the energy infrastructure". These restrictive measures against Russia affect various sectors, such as trade, finance, energy, technology and dual-use products, industry, transport and luxury goods. They also cover a ban on the import or transfer of seaborne crude oil and certain petroleum products from Russia to the EU, the exclusion of several Russian banks from the SWIFT system, and the suspension of the broadcasting licences and activities in the European Union of several Kremlin-backed disinformation companies. In addition, the EU has specific measures in place to counter sanctions circumvention. “As long as the illegal actions of the Russian Federation continue to violate fundamental rules of international law, in particular the prohibition of the use of force, all EU measures should remain in force and additional measures should be taken, if necessary,” the Council added. “EU foreign ministers have just agreed to further extend sanctions on Russia. This will continue to deprive Moscow of revenue to finance its war,” said EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs Kaja Kallas on social media. Speaking to the media before the start of the FAC, Albares warned that “the sanctions must be renewed” because “there is no criterion or political reason that could be beneficial for any European citizen for these sanctions not to be renewed.” “They are good for defending European democracy, they are good for defending European security, they are good for European prosperity, because a war of aggression cannot succeed,” he continued. “They must continue from 31 January,” he warned. “It is not acceptable that any State wants to block them, because it is not good, from any point of view, for any European citizen,” he said.

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