Reaching the sixth package of EU sanctions agreement in the Union level was not easy due to Hungarian opposition. Nevertheless, a compromise was reached at the end as, as a last trick, it demanded the removal of the head of Russian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Kiril, from the sanctioned people list. He was added to the list because of his close relationship with Vladimir Putin
It was not the end to the matter. The diplomats began expressing their disappointment with the Hungarian government and calling out for the 7th round of sanctions. Lithuania’s ambassador to the EU, Arnoldas Pranckevičius, tweeted:
We finally adopted 6th sanctions package, crucial for Ukraine and for all of us. Very disappointing and hardly acceptable that the agreement reached by European leaders was not fully respected by some. We will not retreat. I suggest to name [the] 7th package #KGB: Kirill, Gas & Banks
Picture: Viktor Orbán and Ursula von der Leyen