Monday

25th Sep 2023

Hungary delays oil ban over Putin's patriarch

  • Kirill, the Patriarch of Moscow and all Russia (c) (Photo: Saint-Petersburg Theological Academy)
Listen to article

Hungary is further delaying EU sanctions on Russia, now saying Europe must not blacklist Russian Orthodox Church head, patriarch Kirill.

The Hungarian ambassador issued the Kirill veto at a meeting in Brussels on Wednesday (1 June).

Read and decide

Join EUobserver today

Become an expert on Europe

Get instant access to all articles — and 20 years of archives. 14-day free trial.

... or subscribe as a group

It came as a surprise after Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orbán shook hands with EU leaders on a Russia sanctions deal at a summit on Monday without mentioning the patriarch, EU diplomats said.

Orbán had earlier held up the new EU sanctions already by insisting on carve-outs for Hungary's oil imports.

Kirill, the Patriarch of Moscow and all of Russia — 75-year old Vladimir Gundayev from St Petersburg — was to be listed for calling Russia's war on Ukraine "a religious cleansing operation" and blessing Russian soldiers in sermons, according to an internal EU document from May seen by EUobserver.

He was just a symbolic part of the sanctions package, with a Russia oil embargo set to cost the Kremlin hundreds of billions of euros a year.

And internal EU talks will continue on Thursday to break the latest impasse.

But whether Kirill ends up staying on the EU list or not, the fresh delay was "embarrassing" for Europe's efforts to project unity and soured relations with Hungary, diplomats said.

"The French ambassador [who chaired Wednesday's meeting] insisted that it was too late in the process to introduce this kind of change," an EU diplomat said.

The meeting dragged on for hours and the atmosphere became "heated", a second diplomat said.

"They [Hungary] suddenly came out with it [the Kirill objection] without giving any real reasons," a third EU diplomat said.

"If you give them an inch, they'll take a yard. Orbán was emboldened by his oil deal," a fourth EU diplomat added, referring to Hungary's oil-embargo derogations. "It's time for Europe to say: enough!", the diplomat said.

The Hungarian foreign ministry did not reply to EUobserver's questions on Wednesday.

Orbán has a history of friendly ties with Russian president Vladimir Putin.

He is also facing EU sanctions for abusing rule of law in Hungary, which saw billions in European funding for Budapest frozen.

According to the internal EU document, the upcoming EU sanctions will also hit top Russian banks and TV propaganda channels.

They will impose a visa ban and asset freeze on the family of Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov and on dozens of Russian military commanders, citing Russian armed forces' "rape" and "torture" in Ukraine 46 times in the EU paper.

Opinion

The Patriarch who's in lockstep with Putin

The doublespeak by the head of the Russian Orthodox Church, Patriach Kirill, on "the events taking place" is not just reprehensible – it could amount to an international crime, writes Stephen Minas.

EU’s €500m gender violence plan falls short, say auditors

The 'Spotlight Initiative' was launched in 2017 with a budget of €500 million to end all forms of violence or harmful practices against women and girls in partner countries, but so far it has had "little impact", say EU auditors.

Latest News

  1. Europe's energy strategy: A tale of competing priorities
  2. Why Greek state workers are protesting new labour law
  3. Gloves off, as Polish ruling party fights for power
  4. Here's the headline of every op-ed imploring something to stop
  5. Report: Tax richest 0.5%, raise €213bn for EU coffers
  6. EU aid for Africa risks violating spending rules, Oxfam says
  7. Activists push €40bn fossil subsidies into Dutch-election spotlight
  8. Europe must Trump-proof its Ukraine arms supplies

Stakeholders' Highlights

  1. International Medical Devices Regulators Forum (IMDRF)Join regulators, industry & healthcare experts at the 24th IMDRF session, September 25-26, Berlin. Register by 20 Sept to join in person or online.
  2. UNOPSUNOPS begins works under EU-funded project to repair schools in Ukraine
  3. Georgia Ministry of Foreign AffairsGeorgia effectively prevents sanctions evasion against Russia – confirm EU, UK, USA
  4. International Medical Devices Regulators Forum (IMDRF)Join regulators & industry experts at the 24th IMDRF session- Berlin September 25-26. Register early for discounted hotel rates
  5. Nordic Council of MinistersGlobal interest in the new Nordic Nutrition Recommendations – here are the speakers for the launch
  6. Nordic Council of Ministers20 June: Launch of the new Nordic Nutrition Recommendations

Join EUobserver

Support quality EU news

Join us