EU Foreign Ministers Fail to Approve 11th Package of Sanctions Against Russia

EU foreign ministers were unable to reach a decision regarding the 11th package of sanctions against Russia and additional military aid to Ukraine from the European Peace Facility during a meeting held in Brussels. This was announced to reporters by Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó during a break in discussions with EU counterparts.

“No decision has been made on the further financing of arms supplies. A decision on sanctions has also not been reached,” Szijjártó told Hungarian reporters during the meeting break.

According to the Foreign Minister, Budapest has linked military assistance to Ukraine with the demand to remove OTP Bank from the list of “international sponsors of the war” and has opposed several provisions of the 11th package of sanctions.

On May 12, Szijjártó demanded the removal of OTP Bank from the list of “international sponsors of the war.” While in Stockholm, where the EU ministerial meeting was held, he warned that for Hungary, which is itself in an economically difficult situation, it would be hard to assist Ukraine and negotiate around the 11th sanctions package as long as OTP remains on the Ukrainian blacklist.

Later, he noted that because of this, Hungary would not support the allocation of an additional €500 million in military assistance to Ukraine from the European Peace Facility.

On May 4, Ukraine's National Agency on Corruption Prevention included the Hungarian OTP banking group in the list of “international sponsors of the war” as it continues to operate in Russia.