Hungary has blocked the adoption of a new 13th package of sanctions by the European Union, because this time it opposes restrictions related to China.
The Financial Times writes about it.
The EU wants to approve the 13th package of sanctions before the second anniversary of Russiaʼs full-scale invasion of Ukraine. This would complement the €50 billion financial support package.
A meeting of EU ambassadors was held the day before, where only Hungary was against the new package. If not for her, the ambassadors would have signed the approval of the 13th package of sanctions, which includes almost 200 people and companies from Russia, China and other countries that help the Kremlin in the war.
"The Hungarians didnʼt agree because of the Chinese companies," said one official.
Another official spoke more delicately about the negotiations — the Budapest ambassador "required a little more time to analyze the content of the proposals."
The proposed sanctions package includes, among other things, sanctions against three Chinese companies and one in India. If it remains in the package, it will be the first time that businesses in mainland China and India have come under EU sanctions.
Discussions on the new package will continue. The EU will try to have time to adopt it by February 24.
At the same time, at the same meeting, the ambassadors agreed on the legal texts needed to launch the €50 billion EU support package for Ukraine.
- On February 1, the leaders of the EU member states unanimously agreed to provide financial support to Ukraine in the amount of €50 billion. €17 billion is direct financial aid to Ukraine, and the rest are loans that Kyiv will receive over the next four years. Ukraine expects to receive the first payment of €4.5 billion from the new aid package from the European Union as early as March 2024. Hungary also opposed this aid package for a long time, so the European Union had to compromise with Prime Minister Viktor Orban.
- On December 18, the EU adopted the 12th package of sanctions against Russia. The restrictions applied to diamonds, sensitive goods and technologies, imports of iron and steel, liquefied propane, sales of tankers, etc.