All posts tagged: Sanctions

Russia an ‘unreliable partner’, EU warns after Hungary deal revelations – POLITICO

Russia an ‘unreliable partner’, EU warns after Hungary deal revelations – POLITICO

Published by Sam Flores

The documents, signed by Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó, set out shared priorities across “current issues of bilateral trade and economic cooperation, joint activities in the energy sector, industry, health care, agriculture, construction, and other areas of mutual interest, as well as in the cultural and humanitarian sphere.”  Among the plans made were to expand joint working in the nuclear power industry, support more Russian language teachers and graduate students coming to Hungary, and begin new partnerships between sports teams and universities. Hungary’s foreign policy trajectory has become a key issue in Sunday’s parliamentary election, where Prime Minister Viktor Orbán faces the toughest test of his 16-year hold on power. The veteran populist leader — who has pursued closer ties with the Kremlin and held up EU sanctions on Russia — lags behind center-right challenger Péter Magyar in the polls. Orbán has accused his arch-rival of siding with Brussels, threatening to drag the country into a war and undermining its access to Russian fossil fuels, while Magyar has said the current government should be investigated …

Hungary and Russia struck 12-point plan for closer ties, documents show – POLITICO

Hungary and Russia struck 12-point plan for closer ties, documents show – POLITICO

Published by Sam Flores

While Orbán flaunts his close ties with the Kremlin, his electoral rival, Péter Magyar, has argued this is an Achilles’ heel, accusing the government of “outright treason” over its ties to Moscow. The December summit in Moscow was the 16th meeting of the Russian-Hungarian Intergovernmental Commission on Economic Cooperation (IGC), which according to Russian state media was launched in 2005. The commission has met on a roughly annual basis in either Russia or Hungary since then — with a break between the 14th meeting in November 2021 and the 15th in September 2024. Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022. According to one of the documents, Russia and Hungary “addressed current issues of bilateral trade and economic cooperation, joint activities in the energy sector, industry, health care, agriculture, construction, and other areas of mutual interest, as well as in the cultural and humanitarian sphere” at the meeting in Moscow on Dec. 9, 2025. They also underscored the importance of “developing long-term, mutually beneficial ties between the two countries in areas of …

Orbán’s rival Magyar slams JD Vance’s Hungary visit as election meddling – POLITICO

Orbán’s rival Magyar slams JD Vance’s Hungary visit as election meddling – POLITICO

Published by Sam Flores

For Orbán — who has ruled Hungary for 16 years and built a system he calls “illiberal democracy” — the visit is a chance to project international support at a critical moment in the campaign. POLITICO’s Poll of Polls shows Fidesz trailing Magyar’s opposition Tisza party. Vance is not the first senior U.S. figure to deploy to Budapest ahead of the election. His trip follows a February visit by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who declared a “golden age” in U.S.-Hungarian relations. The campaign trail has seen controversy and accusations of foreign interference that extend beyond the U.S. Hungary’s Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó acknowledged talking with Russian officials as EU ministers weighed new sanctions, with reports suggesting Budapest sought to weaken measures targeting Russian elites and oil shipments. Meanwhile, a documentary by independent journalists, The Price of a Vote, alleged widespread vote-buying and pressure on voters in rural areas — claims the government has dismissed as politically motivated. Hungary has been in this position before. In 2022, a united opposition was also expected to challenge …

EU foreign policy shambles triggers calls for radical overhaul of diplomacy – POLITICO

EU foreign policy shambles triggers calls for radical overhaul of diplomacy – POLITICO

Published by Sam Flores

Frustration at the deadlock is spilling into the open, with a growing group of countries led by Germany and Sweden pushing to severely limit — or totally scrap — national vetoes that allow a single capital to block action. “We should abolish the unanimity principle in the EU in foreign and security policy before the end of the current legislative period so as to be better capable of acting internationally and to be truly grown-up,” German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said Saturday, according to the German Funke Group. “All the experience that we have gained over recent weeks with aid for Ukraine and sanctions on Russia indicate this.” German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul takes part in a press call after the G7 foreign ministers’ meeting in France on March 27. | Michael Kappeler/picture alliance via Getty Images Last month, Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said that discussions about using qualified majority voting to make foreign policy decisions would “come up again” among leaders. The push comes as Hungary — less than a week out from its …

Serbia says explosive found near pipeline to Hungary, days before crucial election – POLITICO

Serbia says explosive found near pipeline to Hungary, days before crucial election – POLITICO

Published by Sam Flores

Hungary’s Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó said “someone tried to blow up the TurkStream pipeline,” which conveys Russian natural gas into Hungary. “Undermining the security of our energy supply is an attack on our sovereignty,” Szijjártó said in a post on X. Those claims were quickly met with skepticism by Orbán’s main opponent, Péter Magyar, who is looking to unseat the pro-Russia prime minister in next Sunday’s vote. Orbán has made energy security a central issue amid a tense campaign, and Magyar has suggested that Vučić’s claim could be a false flag operation staged by two allies of Russian President Vladimir Putin. “Viktor Orbán wants to cross a new border with the help of Serbian and Russian [actors], due to the collapse of the support of Fidesz,” Magyar said in a Facebook post Sunday afternoon. “Many people have publicly indicated that something will ‘accidentally’ happen in Serbia at the gas pipeline at Easter, a week before the Hungarian elections.” Magyar said he had asked Orbán to keep him informed about the situation and invite him to …

Europe up for policing Hormuz — but only if the fighting stops – POLITICO

Europe up for policing Hormuz — but only if the fighting stops – POLITICO

Published by Sam Flores

The virtual meeting came days after the U.S. president called for NATO countries to “take the lead” and send warships into the Strait, whose retaliatory blockage by Iran has set off a global energy crisis. Trump doubled down Wednesday night, telling POLITICO: “They gotta get guts and go in.” A readout of the meeting, provided by the U.K. side, said participants agreed to turn up international heat “including through the UN, to send clear and co-ordinated messages to Iran to permit unimpeded transit passage through the Strait of Hormuz and to comprehensively reject the imposition of tolls on vessels which seek to pass through.” It promised to explore “co-ordinated economic and political measures, such as sanctions” to increase the pressure on Tehran if the Strait stays closed. And there was talk of “arrangements to support greater market and operational confidence,” including boosting informational sharing “with shipping operators and industry bodies.” But the 90-minute call also showed the reluctance among those on Trump’s wishlist to deploy military force in the Strait while the war continues. British …

U.S. lifts sanctions on Venezuela’s acting President Delcy Rodríguez : NPR

U.S. lifts sanctions on Venezuela’s acting President Delcy Rodríguez : NPR

Published by Sam Flores

Venezuela’s acting President Delcy Rodriguez, right, speaks next to the World Baseball Classic trophy a day after her team’s victory over the United States in the championship match, at Miraflores presidential palace in Caracas, Venezuela, Wednesday, March 18, 2026. Ariana Cubillos/AP hide caption toggle caption Ariana Cubillos/AP WASHINGTON — The U.S. on Wednesday lifted sanctions on Venezuela’s acting President Delcy Rodríguez, according to an Office of Foreign Assets Control entry on the Treasury Department website. The newly announced sanctions relief is the latest U.S. recognition of Rodríguez as a legitimate authority in Venezuela ever since the U.S. military captured her predecessor, Nicolás Maduro, and his wife on Jan. 3 in Venezuela’s capital, Caracas. The pair have since been taken to New York to face drug trafficking charges and both have pleaded not guilty. The move allows Rodríguez to more freely work with U.S. companies and investors. Without explicitly mentioning the sanctions targeting her, Rodríguez, in a statement, expressed hope for U.S.-Venezuela relations. “We value President Donald Trump’s decision as a step toward normalizing and strengthening …

US removes sanctions on Venezuela’s interim President Delcy Rodriguez | US-Venezuela Tensions News

US removes sanctions on Venezuela’s interim President Delcy Rodriguez | US-Venezuela Tensions News

Published by Sam Flores

US has exerted growing influence over the Venezuelan government after abducting former President Nicolas Maduro. Published On 1 Apr 20261 Apr 2026 The United States has lifted sanctions against Venezuela’s interim President Delcy Rodriguez, following its abduction and imprisonment of her predecessor, Nicolas Maduro. The US Department of the Treasury website was updated on Wednesday to show that Rodriguez had been removed from the Specially Designated Nationals List. Recommended Stories list of 3 itemsend of list The move was seen as yet another sign of tightening relations between Rodriguez and US President Donald Trump, who has sought to exert control over Venezuela’s politics since Maduro’s removal. Rodriguez hailed Wednesday’s decision with a post calling for more sanctions against Venezuelan entities and individuals to be nixed. “President Trump’s decision is a significant step in the right direction to normalize and strengthen relations between our countries,” she wrote. “We trust that this progress and determination will ultimately lead to the lifting of the additional active sanctions on our country.” Rodriguez had been sanctioned under the Office of …

EU diplomats meet in Ukraine to pledge support for Russia war crimes tribunal – POLITICO

EU diplomats meet in Ukraine to pledge support for Russia war crimes tribunal – POLITICO

Published by Sam Flores

“Some were just walking on the street, some were killed in their own homes, some were tortured and raped,” Kallas said, adding the slaughter was just one example of Russia’s barbarity throughout the war and could not go “unpunished.”  She added that the EU was “pushing forward” with creating a special tribunal to prosecute Kremlin officials over the full-scale invasion, along with a “claims commission” that will allow individuals to petition for Russian war damages.  Ukraine signed an agreement with the Council of Europe to establish the tribunal in June last year, but it still needs legal and financial backing from states in Europe and beyond to get off the ground. All EU countries but Hungary put out a joint statement of support on Tuesday, welcoming the tribunal’s eventual “operationalisation.” Budapest, which is among Moscow’s closest allies in the EU, continues to use its veto to block a €90 billion tranche of funds for Ukraine over a bitter dispute with Kyiv about a pipeline transporting oil from Russia. Hungary is also refusing to approve the bloc’s 20th package of sanctions on the Kremlin. Kallas said there had been no breakthrough on the funds or sanctions, but that she hoped to …