FM Szijjártó: Hungary will block extending the EU’s anti-Putin sanctions to help US-Russian talks

Hungary will not vote in favour of extending current sanctions on Russian and Belarusian individuals at an upcoming meeting of the European Union’s foreign affairs council, Péter Szijjártó, the foreign minister, said in Washington, DC.

Time should be allowed for US-Russian talks

“Time should be allowed for US-Russian talks,” the foreign ministry quoted Szijjártó as saying on Thursday. Before his meeting the US national security advisor, Szijjártó said “Europe’s liberal politicians clearly want Ukraine to go on with the war and they are pressing the Ukrainian president in that direction,” according to the ministry’s statement. “Of course I don’t know how much pressing he needs, but it is certain that he is continuously inspired and encouraged to continue the war,” he added.

The EU’s foreign affairs council will meet next Monday, and “already the Hungarian government is under huge pressure regarding the extension of sanctions against Russian and Belarusian nationals,” Szijjártó said, adding that the current sanctions would expire on March 15, while the relevant decision must be made by March 10.

“It is clear however that Europe’s pro-war politicians are rushing ahead and trying to create difficulties for the peace process, constantly urging lightning fast decisions in Brussels through which they could thwart the peace process,” he said. “We will not consent on Monday to extending the regime of sanctions on individuals by six months,” the minister said.

They have time

Concerning the European Commission, Szijjártó said the body had breached one of four guarantees it had given the Hungarian government to ensure Hungary’s gas supplies received through Ukraine. The EC had agreed to negotiate restarting gas shipments through Ukraine with Hungary’s participation, but “we were not invited to the talks … the EC invited only Slovakia and Ukraine,” he said.

Szijjártó said the Hungarian delegation had time until March 10 “to see what decision needs to be taken” concerning the extension of the sanctions in view of the Russia-US talks, Szijjártó said.

He slammed the European proposal to pass a package of some 20 billion euros aimed helping Ukraine “avoid a not too advantageous deal during the peace negotiations”. “We will not support that on Monday either… We will not support spending 20 billion euros of European taxpayers’ money for Ukraine to continue the war,” Szijjártó said.

The minister said Donald Trump’s inauguration as US president was “a big win” for the “peace camp”. “The war camp has started wailing; they had to come out into the open and take a clear stand… The question is whether the war camp, basically led by liberal European politicians, can thwart Donald Trump’s efforts to make peace in Ukraine,” he said, adding however that the highest level talks between the US and Russia had “brought the solution closer than ever, creating a hope for peace.”

‘Clear’ that new US administration attaches importance to Hungary, says Szijjártó in Washington

It is clear how important Hungary is to the new US administration, the foreign ministry said, noting that US National Security Advisor Mike Waltz met Szijjártó in Washington, DC on Thursday, just after returning from Riyadh. Szijjártó and Waltz have met on a number of occasions, the ministry said in a statement, adding that relations between the two countries had “entered into a completely new era”.

“We have known for eight years that Donald Trump pursues a patriotic economic policy, strives for balanced trade ties, which is understandable from his point of view,” the statement quoted Szijjártó as saying. Europe’s politicians should stop “wailing and hiding and talking of the devil; we knew very well what we had to prepare for… They should come up with proposals for making Europe’s economic and trade ties with the US balanced in the future,” he said.

European politicians are clearly frustrated

European tariffs on American cars were 10 percent, while US tariffs were only 2.5 percent, and the Hungarian government has proposed reducing tariffs on American cars “as a step towards equilibrium”. This could result in a process that leads to a bilateral agreement “yielding mutual benefits”, the minister said.

“European politicians are clearly frustrated as they remember what they said about Donald Trump earlier. And Trump remembers, too. That’s why they don’t dare to come out into the open and start talks; they don’t dare to make such proposals proactively,” he said. “They are a bit paralysed in this new situation … they can’t or won’t acknowledge this completely new global political situation, and this isn’t good,” he said.

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• Hungarian FM Szijjártó backs US-Russia talks, says they’re needed for peace in Ukraine