Most of the foreign ministers from the European Union’s 27 states were sporting sunflowers knitted in the colours of Ukraine, to mark the fourth anniversary of Russia’s full invasion. But nobody was surprised to see Hungary’s foreign minister Peter Szijjarto did not have one pinned to his lapel in Brussels on Monday.
“We don’t hate Ukraine,” Szijjártó said, before setting out why Hungary’s populist, far-right government had at the last minute threatened to block an EU agreement on new economic sanctions hitting Russia, as well as a vital €90 billion loan to Ukraine.
Ukraine had behaved “in a very hostile manner towards Hungary” in recent years, he said.
European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen had hoped to use a visit to Kyiv on Tuesday, four years after Moscow launched its invasion, to announce new EU sanctions on Russia’s wartime economy.
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A last-minute move by Hungary’s prime minister Viktor Orban to block the sanctions was described as “outrageous” by other European governments.
There is a broad acceptance that Orban is playing politics. The Hungarian is facing a challenge in April parliamentary elections that could see him lose his 15-year grip on power in Budapest.
He has done his best to make the Ukraine war a feature of the campaign, claiming he has kept Hungary out of it by opposing European backing for Kyiv.
The Hungarian government says it is objecting to new sanctions on Russia because Ukrainian authorities have blocked oil deliveries.
Ukraine’s government has said the Druzhba pipeline carrying Russian oil to Hungary and Slovakia has been damaged by Russian attacks, along with much of the country’s critical infrastructure.
Orban said he will also hold up a €90 billion loan the EU was due to extend to Ukraine until oil deliveries resume, something Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s administration said amounted to “blackmail”.
Poland’s foreign minister Radosław Sikorski accused Orban of using the EU agenda to “wage domestic political battles”. German foreign minister Johann Wadephul said he was “astonished” by Budapest.
Orban making life difficult for the EU is nothing new. He has constantly threatened to use veto powers to block the approval or renewal of sanctions, and other key EU decisions, in an attempt to extract concessions elsewhere.
The approval of extra EU sanctions on Russia this week would be a politically symbolic nod of support to Ukraine, rather than any major practical blow to Moscow.
Slow-walking approval for the €90 billion EU loan would have real consequences. Kyiv risks running short of funds pretty quickly without that money.
National leaders agreed at a December summit that the EU would borrow funds for a huge loan to keep Ukraine afloat.
The plan was constructed in a way that meant Orban, Slovakia’s prime minister Robert Fico and Czech Republic premier Andrej Babis would not have to contribute.
The three leaders, who oppose sending aid to Ukraine, agreed to abstain in a vote, which meant the other 24 leaders could approve the loan.
A spokeswoman for the European Commission said the EU executive expected Orban to stick by commitments he made to other leaders at that summit.
Failing to do so would be viewed as a breach of the EU’s “loyal co-operation” principle. Read that as a warning shot to Budapest.
Lithuanian foreign minister Kęstutis Budrys said the “carrot” wasn’t working.
Tougher action, including the nuclear option of stripping Hungary of its voting rights in Brussels, should be considered, to stop “one constant disruption” working against Europe’s common interests, he said.
