Hungary has yet to sign the agreement reached by European Union leaders earlier this week on a partial embargo on Russian oil. The state first wants to include the well-known Russian Patriarch Kirill on the sanctions list. Budapest was already expressing the embargo on Russian oil.
Europe Union receipt At the beginning of this week, a sixth package of sanctions against Russia over the war in Ukraine was agreed upon. The partial oil embargo from Russia was part of that. In addition, a number of Russians were blacklisted.
One of them is Patriarch Kirill, the leader of the Russian Orthodox Church in Russia. He glorifies war and is a staunch supporter of Russian President Vladimir Putin. And the Russian Orthodox churches in other countries have already separated from him, as did the leader of the Orthodox churches around the world. In Russia he is still the head of the church.
Hungary wants the spiritual leader of the blacklist. Otherwise, the country will not sign the sixth package of sanctions, a government spokesperson said on Wednesday. The spokesman waved criticism from European diplomats for blocking the deal as a result. “Our position on the sanctions against Patriarch Kirill has been known for a long time, and no one spoke against him at the meeting,” the spokeswoman said.
During the negotiations, Hungary also long opposed the oil embargo. The country says it has virtually no alternatives to Russian oil and has refused to support the proposal. In order to accommodate Budapest, the 27 EU leaders decided to request a partial embargo and exemption from sanctions for oil coming through pipelines to Europe. Hungary is not located next to the sea and therefore other oil is difficult to obtain.
Patriarch Kirill, leader of the Russian Orthodox Church in Russia.
Patriarch Kirill, leader of the Russian Orthodox Church in Russia.
picture: Environmental Protection Agency
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