By Nicholas Earl
Hungary has urged the European Union (EU) not to impose new sanctions on Russia, warning that further measures would escalate the supply crisis and hurt the continent.
The country’s Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said in a statement: “The EU should … stop mentioning an eighth package of sanctions, should stop flagging measures that would only further deepen the energy supply crisis.”
The EU has brought in a raft of measures following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February, including planned phase outs of Kremlin-backed coal and oil imports.
Hungary managed to secure compromises to the oil ban, which only effects seaborne shipments, with the landlocked country remaining highly reliant on Russia for supplies.
Earlier this week, the country’s government submitted a batch of legislation to Parliament late on Monday in order to unlock billions of euros of European Union funds, which was confirmed by the country’s Justice Minister Judit Varga.
She argued the bill modifies legislation relating to Hungary’s cooperation with the EU anti-fraud office OLAF and rules affecting state asset management foundations.
The government has said more legislation would come on Friday.
Meanwhile, Russia has further raised tensions with Ukraine and the West, after it gave support to plans by separatists which it backs in Ukraine to hold referendums.
This has paved the way for the annexation of swathes of additional territory, a direct challenge to Ukraine that could sharply escalate the conflict.
The self-styled Donetsk (DPR) and the Luhansk People’s Republics (LPR), which Putin recognised as independent just before the invasion, and the Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions have asked for votes over less than 24 hours.
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