Politics

‘Playing with fire’: Orbán’s sanctions veto threat puts Brussels on edge

Published

1 year ago

January 24, 2025

Diplomats and officials in Brussels are holding their breath as they wait to find out if Viktor Orbán’s increasingly critical rhetoric against EU sanctions will translate into a veto that could upend the bloc’s Russia policy, as soon as next week.

Since February 2022, the bloc has brought in sweeping bans on trade with Russia in energy, technology, finance, luxury goods, transport and broadcasting, among others. It’s also frozen €210 billion assets held by the Russian central bank within the bloc, which have been used to back a multi-billion-euro loan for Kyiv.

Those could all soon be put into question. The restrictions, designed to cripple Moscow’s ability to finance its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, need to be prolonged every six months by unanimity, and the next deadline is 31 January.

In recent days, Orbán and his deputies have ratcheted up their harsh words against the sanctions regime, arguing the inauguration of US President Donald Trump, who wants to negotiate with Russia’s Vladimir Putin, requires the bloc to rethink its longstanding stance.

“The question of extending the sanctions is now on the agenda, and I pulled the handbrake and asked European leaders to understand that this cannot be continued,” the Hungarian Prime Minister said in a radio interview on Friday morning.

One of his ministers, Gergely Gulyás, has openly questioned the six-monthly renewal. “So far, everyone has seen the extension of sanctions as automatic, but we do not think it is automatic now,” Gulyás said on Thursday.

Those comments have stoked fears that Hungary will use its veto to block the rollover, triggering the collapse of a sanctions regime painstakingly built across 15 packages, and depriving the EU of its most hard-hitting tool against the Kremlin.

“It’s clear that if Budapest were to block, we would have a great issue at hand,” said a senior diplomat, who spoke on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the matter. “Budapest is playing with fire.”

The diplomat described the political situation as “mind-blowing” given the dire battleground conditions faced by Ukrainian forces, and predicted the EU would plunge into “uncharted territory” were sectoral sanctions to collapse overnight.

“The shenanigans we get from Budapest are seemingly endless,” the diplomat said.

A closed-door discussion among ambassadors on Friday only increased the uncertainty, as the Hungarian representative maintained ambiguity over his position, several diplomats said.

Instead, Hungary asked to change the agenda of Monday’s meeting of foreign affairs ministers, to allow the item on sanctions renewal, which is generally approved without any fuss, to be openly debated after a separate discussion on Ukraine support.

The Hungarian envoy also made a number of requests concerning energy policy, and in particular Ukraine’s recent decision to terminate the transit of Russian gas through Hungary, another diplomat said.

The decision, taken by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to stop Moscow from earning “additional billions on our blood,” has met with a furious reaction from Hungary and Slovakia, two landlocked countries that still purchase Russian fossil fuels. Earlier this month, Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico threatened to use his veto power in retaliation.

‘Transactional’ diplomacy

In his radio interview, Orbán made a direct link between sanctions renewal and the gas dispute, and asked the European Commission to intervene in his country’s favour.

The Commission has said it has “no interest” in extending the transit of Russian gas.

“What is closed now, has to be reopened again. This is not a matter for Ukraine, it is an issue for Europe, an issue for central Europe,” the prime minister said.

“If the Ukrainians want help, for example sanctioning the Russians, then let’s reopen the gas transit routes and allow the central European countries, including Hungary, to receive the gas we need through Ukraine.”

The connection between the two issues has left diplomats scratching their heads, trying to figure out how severe the latest threat actually is. Orbán has previously used his veto to extract concessions, but never to provoke such a disruptive effect on sanctions.

“The threats are taken seriously. But it’s not the first time,” a diplomat said, decrying Hungary’s “transactional” manner of making demands.

“The EU cannot enter into panic mode every time somebody says something in Budapest,” they added. “We have learned to make a clear distinction between what we hear in Budapest and what happens in Brussels.”

The suspense is likely to last, at least, until foreign affairs ministers meet on Monday and Hungary’s representative, Péter Szijjártó, announces his country’s position. Diplomats speculate that, despite the harsh talk, Szijjártó will back down if he can secure new EU assistance for Hungary’s energy needs.

This will pave the way for the renewal to be approved, if not on Monday, then at least before the end of the month.

“We expect a positive result from that discussion. [Sanctions] are a key part of our strategy,” said a high-ranking EU official. The issue of gas transit has “nothing to do with sanctions on Russia. Sanctions on Russia are because of the aggression.”

Asked if Brussels was already drafting a Plan B, the official said: “We don’t envisage any other possibility than that it will be approved in the coming days.”

One factor certain to influence the discussion are the latest comments made by Donald Trump, who took some observers by surprise with hawkish comments against Russia.

“If we don’t make a deal, and soon, I have no other choice but to put high levels of taxes, tariffs, and sanctions on anything being sold by Russia to the United States, and various other participating countries,” Trump said.

“We can do it the easy way, or the hard way – and the easy way is always better.”

The EU is already preparing a 16th package of sanctions against Russia, with the view to approving them before the third anniversary of the invasion, in late February.

Politics

PDP to screen Goodluck Jonathan on Tuesday as its sole Presidential aspirant For 2027 race

Published

23 hours ago

May 18, 2026

Ekwutos Blog

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), led by Tanimu Turaki, SAN, has scheduled to screen former president Goodluck Jonathan tomorrow, Tuesday, aMay 19, as the lone presidential candidate of party.

According to a statement from the PDP faction backed by the Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, Former Vice-President Namadi Sambo, former governor of Plateau State, Jona Jang and a former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Tom Ikimi have been listed among a committee of 14 members to screen Jonathan described as a lone candidate by the party.

Other members of the committee were Chief Olabode George, Babangida Aliyu, Maryam ciroma, Zainab Maina, Josephine Anenin, Dr. Abdul Bulama, Dr. Esther Uduehi, Edo State PDP chairman, Tony Aziegbemi, Dr. Sunday Solarium and Chief Anicho Okoro, who would serve as administrative secretary of the committee.

Last week, the national Publicity Secretary of the faction, Ini Ememobong, disclosed that former president Jonathan has successfully registered as a member of the party in the fresh digital registration exercise directed by INEC.

The PDP faction also announced that it was set to screen 748 house of representatives aspirants, 198 senatorial aspirants, and 112 governorship aspirants.

The screening committee would screen 2122 states houses of assembly aspirants. The exercise will commence tomorrow, Tuesday in different states.

According to the statement, the screening exercise would take place nationwide on Tuesday, May 19, 2026, at 10:00 a.m.

The statement said the Interim National Working Committee (iNWC) has also released the names of members to serve on the Screening Committees and Screening Appeal Panels.

It added that the publication of the screening details “is in accordance with the party’s guidelines and timetable for the conduct of the 2027 general elections.”

Politics

Oshiomhole wins Edo APC senatorial primaries unopposed

Published

23 hours ago

May 18, 2026

Ekwutos Blog

A former governor and incumbent Senator, Adams Oshiomhole, along with his counterpart Senator Joe Ikpea, sailed through the All Progressives Congress senatorial primary in Edo unopposed, and securing their tickets without a single vote cast against them.

Also Omoregie Ogbeide-Ihama emerged the winner in the APC primary for the Edo South senatorial district.

Ogbeide-Ihama won in the seven local government areas of Edo South in the results announced by the Chairman of APC National Assembly Primary Election, Muhammed Ajana at the Urokpota Hall, Benin.

He polled 27,154 votes while his opponents, Senator Neda Imasuen, got 13,580, and Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu got 6785.

The elections were hitch-free in Edo North and Edo Central, where there was no contest against the incumbents, Senators Oshiomhole of Edo North and Ikpea of Edo Central, respectively.

Ajana at the Urokpota Hall said the collation arose from votes cast in the seven local government areas made up of 77 wards where elections were conducted by members of the committee.

He said, “There are seven local governments that make up the Edo South Senatorial District. We have heard from the Returning officers from the seven local government areas. From the collation, the cumulative result we have for Edo South Senatorial District is this; Ogbeide-Ihama with 27,154 votes, Imasuen with 13,580 votes and Ize-Iyamu with 6, 785.

“This is the total reflection of what has transpired from the ward level to the local government and the Edo South senatorial district collation centre. With this we await further directives from the National Secretariat, we have done our best by collating the results which is our mandate, to collate the results and send them to the National Secretariat.”

However, it was gathered that Ize-Iyamu emerged as the APC candidate for Edo South Senatorial race. He claimed to have clinched the party’s ticket after defeating Ogbeide-Ihama and Imasuen.

It was claimed that the Chief Returning Officer, Abubakar Muhammad Kabiru, officially declared Ize-Iyamu the winner after securing the highest number of votes cast.

On his part, the senator representing the district condemned the exercise describing it as a sham allegedly designed to favour a preferred aspirant.

Imasuen spoke while reacting to events at his polling unit in Umagbae North Ward 5, Urhokuosa where he said he was denied the opportunity to vote following what he described as a chaotic and manipulated process.

The lawmaker accused leaders of the party of openly adopting a preferred candidate ahead of the exercise and intimidating members into supporting that aspirant.

He said, “There is nothing satisfactory about this sham of election they did today and it is very unfortunate because as a loyal party member, I expected something better than this.”

He said the warning signs emerged days before the primary when some ward chairmen allegedly informed him that they had been directed not to receive him during consultations.

Imasuen claimed that some ward leaders openly told him the party had already adopted a preferred aspirant, identified as Hon. Omoregie Ogbeide-Ihama, making further consultations unnecessary.

Politics

Ajuloopin Suffers Setback as Home Ward Rejects Third Term Return Bid in Kwara APC Primary

Published

23 hours ago

May 18, 2026

Ekwutos Blog

The re-election bid of the member representing Ekiti/Isin/Irepodun/Oke-Ero Federal Constituency, Hon. Raheem Tunji Olawuyi, popularly known as Ajuloopin, suffered a major setback on Friday after party members in his home ward, Omu-Aran Ward 1, boycotted the All Progressives Congress APC House of Representatives primary.

According to party stakeholders and observers present at the exercise, no valid election took place in the ward after members refused to participate in protest against what they described as the lawmaker’s poor performance after three consecutive terms in the House of Representatives.

Sources in the ward said efforts by some political figures and loyalists to persuade members to back Ajuloopin’s ambition failed, with party faithful insisting they would not endorse what they termed an attempt to impose his candidacy again.

The boycott led to a breakdown of the electoral process in Omu-Aran Ward 1, with many members staying away from the polls entirely. Stakeholders have called on the APC Electoral Committee to disregard any result purportedly presented from the ward, arguing that no credible primary was conducted there.

Political observers in the constituency described the development as a significant blow to Ajuloopin, noting that the rejection came from his own ward and among constituents most familiar with his record.

Preliminary reports from other parts of Irepodun, Isin and Oke-Ero local government areas, where voting proceeded, also indicated weak support for the incumbent. Many party members were said to have voted for alternative aspirants.

APC stakeholders have urged the party leadership to review reports from affected wards and accept only authentic and verifiable results to preserve the credibility of the primaries. They stressed that internal democracy was critical to the party’s prospects in the constituency and warned against imposing unpopular candidates ahead of the 2027 elections.

With tension rising across the federal constituency, party faithful said the leadership must listen to grassroots members and allow delegates and supporters to determine the outcome of the primaries.