The European Union has extended sanctions against Russia after overcoming objections from the government of Moscow-friendly Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban by providing guarantees on energy-related issues.
"EU foreign ministers have just agreed to extend sanctions on Russia again," EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas wrote on X.com on Monday.
"This will continue to deprive Moscow of revenues to finance the war. Russia should pay for the damage it causes," she added.
The development comes after Hungarian representatives blocked a joint statement by EU countries rejecting the presidential elections in Belarus, according to information from Radio Free Europe sources in Brussels.
As the statement was not signed by all 27 representatives of the EU countries regarding Belarus, Kallas issued her own statement in which she stated that the elections on January 26 were not free and fair and called on the Belarusian authorities to release all political prisoners.
Orban, who maintains friendly ties with Russian President Vladimir Putin, has repeatedly opposed expanding sanctions on Russia and increasing European aid to Kiev, despite the Kremlin's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
He initially called for EU coordination with US President Donald Trump – who has often spoken in admiration of Putin – before the decision was made to renew sanctions on Moscow.
However, after his inauguration, Trump has been talking about possible new sanctions against Russia if Putin does not enter into peace negotiations in Ukraine.
The Hungarian leader then expressed reservations about Kiev's move to terminate the agreement on the transit of Russian gas to Hungary through Ukraine.
However, the European Commission promised on January 27 that it was "ready to continue talks with Ukraine on supplying Europe through the Ukrainian gas pipeline system."
When asked how significant the promise was, Kallas told reporters: "Well, it would mean something to Hungary. So it's important."
Reuters, which saw the official statement, reported that it said the European Commission was ready to include Hungary and Slovakia in the process, although there was no mention of resuming Russian gas supplies.
"The Commission will contact Ukraine to request guarantees regarding the maintenance of pipeline transport to the EU," the statement also said.
Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said he was satisfied with these assurances.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said over the weekend that Kiev is ready to facilitate the transit of gas from Azerbaijan to Europe as an alternative to Russian gas supplies.
"There is gas. There are supply routes from Azerbaijan. The main thing is to have the political will to work for their people, and not with Moscow in some hidden deals, as some characters in Eastern Europe do," Zelensky said at a joint press conference with Moldovan President Maia Sandu.
Ukraine last year refused to extend a contract with Russian state gas giant Gazprom to transit gas to Europe, as Kiev and the West seek to deny Moscow the revenues it uses to finance the war in Ukraine.
Most countries have begun developing alternative sources of gas, although some, notably Slovakia and Hungary, have said this will lead to intolerable cost increases.
On January 27, Slovakia welcomed the European Commission's statement on the continuation of negotiations with Ukraine on gas transit and assessed that it positively views the possibility of gas deliveries from Azerbaijan.
"From the beginning, we have been discussing with the Ukrainian government the possibilities of delivering gas other than Russian through Ukraine, and therefore we view the Ukrainian side's willingness to discuss such transit as a return to the solution we proposed," Slovak Foreign Minister Juraj Blanar said.
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