Hungary at the meeting of the permanent representatives of the EU member states held the previous day spoke Against the new package of sanctions against the Russian Federation. On Thursday, December 8, the newspaper wrote Finance Times citing sources in diplomatic circles.
“These [венгры] They create problems wherever they can. They become quite predictable,” a senior official told the publication.
The FT claims it also opposes Budapest’s proposal to increase the size of the EU fund, which finances arms supplies to Ukraine and other countries.
Against this background, some diplomats fear that Hungary will continue to use its veto power against any unanimous decision by Brussels. This is due to the European Commission’s recommendation to freeze the 7.5 billion Euros from the EU Fund for Balanced Development to Budapest, as well as the postponement of the 5.8 billion Euro grant allocation for the recovery from the pandemic. Hungary should actively fight corruption and implement a number of reforms.
One of the diplomats told the FT that we need to be prepared for Budapest’s “radical action”. The publication does not rule out that Hungary could allegedly prevent Bulgaria, Romania and Croatia from being included in the Schengen area.
In response, the head of European diplomacy, Josep Borrell, has called for an increase in EU defense spending by 70 billion euros by 2025. He noted that the EU began to cut back on its military spending after the Cold War and now needs to “fix its past”.
At the same time, Borrell noted that Europe did not have a single cohesive army.
Ninth sanctions package
On December 7, EC President Ursula von der Leyen spoke about the content of the ninth package of sanctions against Russia. It affects approximately 200 individuals and legal entities.
The restrictions will particularly affect the activities of three more Russian banks. The sanctions therefore mean a complete ban on operations with the All-Russian Regional Development Bank.
The new restrictions will also limit Russia’s access to all types of drones and drones.
Four TV channels and a number of other distribution platforms will be taken down due to “state propaganda” in the EU.
In addition, new export controls and restrictions are expected, especially for dual-use goods. It also proposes “more economic measures against the Russian energy and mining sector”.