A fourth Russian was removed from the sanctions list as the deal with Hungary was reached, but he was removed due to a weak legal case for keeping him on the list. File Photo by Chris Kleponis / UPI | License Photo
March 14 (UPI) — The European Union Friday agreed to drop three Russian individuals from its sanctions list as the price for Hungary’s Viktor Orban to drop a threat to veto Europe’s sanctions against Russia. A fourth Russian was removed from the sanctions list as the deal with Hungary was reached, but he was removed due to a weak legal case for keeping him on the list.
The three Russians Hungary got removed from the sanctions list are oligarch Viatcheslav Moshe Kantor, Russian sports minister Mikhail Degtyaryov, and Gulbahor Ismailova, sister of oligarch Alisher Usmanov.
Usmanov is an Uzbek-Russian mining tycoon.
A fourth Russian, banker and chemicals industry chief Vladimir Rashevsky, also had sanctions against hime lifted but the reason cited was a weak legal case rather than Hungary’s demands.
Orban’s right-wing government in Hungary has been more Russia-friendly than other EU governments and has often obstructed the will of the other 26 EU member states when it comes to support for Ukraine and sanctions on Russia over the war.
“Hungary has a different strategic approach on Ukraine,” said António Costa, the president of the European Council. “That means that Hungary is isolated among the 27. We respect Hungary’s position, but it’s one out of 27. And 26 are more than one.”
For sanctions imposed by the EU to continue they must be renewed every six months with the assent of every EU nation.
Hungary has attempted to upend the sanctions twice in three months.
“The Hungarians say, ‘Look, it looks like Trump is going to make a peace deal,'” said one EU diplomat, anonymously told Politico Europe. “But for us there’s not even the beginning of the conditions where we would contemplate lifting sanctions.”