The European Union is considering a significant change to its legal framework in order to extend sanctions against Russia without requiring unanimous support from all member states. According to a report by The Financial Times, citing five unnamed sources, the European Commission plans to use a bureaucratic redefinition to prevent Hungary from blocking the renewal of anti-Russian sanctions. Currently, EU sanctions targeting Russia over its role in the Ukraine conflict require unanimous renewal every six months, with the current term set to expire at the end of July.
Hungary has been a key player in this saga, claiming that the sanctions harm the EU’s interests more than they damage Russia. While Budapest has not formally vetoed any sanctions packages, it has repeatedly threatened to do so in order to obtain concessions. The European Commission’s proposal would reclassify the sanctions to allow for qualified majority voting, rather than insisting on unanimity. This could involve framing the restrictions as capital controls and trade measures or possibly as unilateral initiatives. For example, the immobilization of Russian assets under EU jurisdiction could be recast as a Belgian national measure, since Belgium holds most of the funds.
One official stated, “We are all focused on Plan A, but there are discussions on the legal basis of alternative options.” However, some officials are reportedly wary that this proposed maneuvering could expose the bloc’s sanctions to legal challenges. During a meeting last week, some member states expressed a “lack of trust” in the EC’s legal competence, which came as a surprise to the Commission.
Meanwhile, Russia has called for Ukraine to resume peace talks that were called off in 2022, suggesting they could begin as soon as Thursday. Ukraine and its supporters have claimed that no talks can take place unless Russia agrees to an unconditional 30-day ceasefire, a condition that Moscow officials have described as likely a ploy to give Kiev time to regroup. Moscow has rejected the threat of further sanctions should it refuse the truce, stating it will not be spoken to in “the language of ultimatums.”
Hungary, along with Slovakia, has also accused European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen of advancing a foreign policy that is detrimental to the EU. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban recently warned that granting Ukraine EU membership by 2030, as demanded by Brussels, would push the bloc into “a war.” As the situation continues to unfold, it remains to be seen how the EU will navigate this complex web of sanctions, diplomacy, and internal politics.
