Politico: The US Secretary of State persuaded Hungary to extend EU sanctions against Russia

Hungary, which in January wanted to block another extension of European Union sanctions against Russia, abandoned this after a conversation between the countryʼs Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó and the US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

Politico writes about this, citing sources.

Hungary was going to veto the extension of sanctions, citing, in particular, Donald Trumpʼs return to the White House. But then Trump himself threatened Russia with new restrictions if it did not agree to a ceasefire in Ukraine.

Rubio also called Szijjarto and, according to two people familiar with the matter, urged Hungary not to undermine the EU sanctions system, which helped convince Budapest to back down and keep the sanctions in place.

At the same time, Trump, as Politico notes, can change tactics at any time, offering to ease sanctions in negotiations with Russia. If this happens, the EU will lose a critical lever in its attempts to influence Hungary. This could become a problem given that the extension of sanctions requires a unanimous decision by all countries. So far, as Politico writes, there is no consensus in the EU on easing sanctions against Russia — regardless of the decisions of the Trump administration.

The US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessant has promised that the US will impose sanctions on Russian energy if it helps bring about a ceasefire in Ukraine. However, there have been no new restrictions against Russia so far, apart from Trump extending sanctions against Russia for a year over the war in Ukraine.

• European countries have consistently supported Ukraine in its war with Russia. Various EU leaders have repeatedly stressed that Europe and Ukraine should be at the negotiating table and that peace should be just. At the same time, the Prime Minister of Hungary Viktor Orban, which is a member of the EU, regularly calls for an end to the war, the lifting of sanctions on Russia, and the cessation of aid to Ukraine.
• Bloomberg, citing sources, wrote that the US will not lift sanctions against Russia in the absence of a noticeable change in Moscowʼs behavior. But it is possible that some of them will be eased if the Russians begin to take the measures that the US seeks.
• Reuters later reported that the White House was looking at options for a possible easing of sanctions against Russia. Sanctions agencies are preparing a proposal to lift sanctions on individual entities and individuals, including a number of Russian oligarchs.

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