Overview

• Hungary used its veto power to demand the removal of four individuals, including oligarch Vyacheslav Moshe Kantor, from the EU sanctions list.
• The EU sanctions, targeting over 2,400 individuals and organizations linked to Russia's aggression in Ukraine, were extended for another six months after the concession.
• The individuals removed from the list include Kantor, a major Russian fertilizer investor, and Gulbahor Ismailova, the sister of oligarch Alisher Usmanov, among others.
• Orbán has consistently criticized EU sanctions on Russia, arguing they harm Hungary's economy and are ineffective in addressing the conflict in Ukraine.
• Diplomats warn that Hungary's actions could encourage legal challenges from other sanctioned individuals, potentially weakening the EU's sanctions framework.