FT: Hungary blocked a new package of EU sanctions against Russia

The ambassadors of the EU countries could have approved a new package of anti-Russian sanctions the day before, but were unable to do so due to the position of Hungary, the newspaper reported Financial Times.

“Hungary was the only one who voted against at the meeting of EU ambassadors yesterday,” – the publication says.

Observers drew attention to the fact that otherwise the European Union would have been able to approve a new package of restrictive measures that would have been directed against almost 200 individuals and companies from Russia, China and other countries.

According to the unnamed official, Budapest did not agree to the proposed measures because of Chinese companies. Another interlocutor of the publication said that the Hungarian ambassador “asked for a little more time” to analyze the content of the proposals.

Officials added that discussions on sanctions would continue.

Politico noted that this situation casts doubt on the European Union’s desire to introduce a new package of restrictions against Moscow by February 24. It was this date, as previously reported by a number of media outlets, that the head of EU diplomacy, Josep Borrell, allegedly indicated.

On February 5, the Politico newspaper wrote that the thirteenth package of EU sanctions against Russia will be mostly “symbolic.” However, the authors intended this package of sanctions to supposedly limit the movement of Russian diplomats within the European Union.

The German publication Der Spiegel, in turn, drew attention to the fact that the European Union may include more than 200 individuals and companies in the new anti-Russian sanctions list. It is also noted that the EU wants to adopt a new sanctions package by February 24.

The Russian government has repeatedly emphasized that attempts to economically isolate Russia have failed, and the sanctions imposed against our country are ineffective. The West also admits that the restrictions are having “less of an impact on the Russian economy than EU leaders had hoped.”