Hungary and Slovakia have thrown a wrench into the European Union’s efforts to extend sanctions against Russia, demanding key Russian figures be removed from the blacklist before agreeing to the renewal.
According to a statement from Estonia’s foreign ministry, Hungary specifically pushed for the removal of Russian businessmen Viatcheslav Kantor, Mikhail Degtyarev, and Gulbakhor Ismailova as a condition for its approval.
The EU’s Article 7 process, which could potentially strip Hungary of its voting rights for non-compliance, requires the backing of four-fifths of member states before sanctions can even be discussed. However, the final step—implementing such penalties—demands unanimous support from all remaining nations. Slovakia, making its stance crystal clear, has outright rejected the possibility of endorsing punitive measures against Hungary.
Both Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico have long been vocal opponents of anti-Russian sanctions and Western military aid to Ukraine. Fico reinforced Slovakia’s position in a recent address, vowing that his country would neither deploy troops to Ukraine nor funnel financial aid into Kyiv’s military efforts.
Despite his firm stance against military support, Fico remained open to dialogue with Ukraine. He proposed another high-level meeting between Slovak and Ukrainian government officials to explore cooperative projects. Additionally, he underscored the importance of reviving natural gas transit through Ukraine, arguing that it remains vital to Europe’s economic competitiveness.
