Hungary joins other EU Member States in approving eighth sanctions package

The European Union Member States, including Hungary, have voted in favour of the eighth package of sanctions against Russia. In addition to the sanctions included in the previous package, the new package bans imports of further Russian products, it extends the list of persons subject to travel bans and asset freezes, and sets a price cap on oil shipments from Russia intended for a third country by an EU or G7 freight forwarder.

"We acted quickly and decisively", European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen posted on Twitter after the decision.

The approval of the eighth package of sanctions is the European Union's strong response to Russia's announcement of the illegal annexation of four regions of Ukraine, the "People's Republics" of Donetsk and Luhansk, as well as the provinces of Herzon and Zaporizhzhya. Von der Leyen also writes in her post that the European Union will never accept either the annexation or Putin's "sham referendums".

Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó announced the decision on Facebook.

The Foreign Minister, who was heading to a cabinet meeting, wrote in his post that an exemption from the oil price cap mechanism for pipeline transport was achieved and that nuclear energy-related activities would also be exempted from the sanction package. "Thus, the security of Hungary's oil supply is no longer threatened by the measures," he wrote.

In recent weeks, Hungarian government members and officials have repeatedly said they believe the EU sanctions – all of which the Hungarian government has voted for – are not working and that Europe is weakening itself with them instead of Russia. This was reiterated by Finance Minister Mihály Varga, the Prime Minister's Political Director Balázs Orbán, and Parliamentary State Secretary Csaba Dömötör – among others.

Our video team recently also questioned some leading Fidesz politicians in Parliament about the government's logic related to the sanctions and why they believe they should be lifted.