Hungary opposes sanctions against Russia

10 May 2022

„Accepting the sixth package of UE sanctions against Russia would be a historical failure ” – warned the Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orban in his letter to the head of the European Commission Ursula von den Leyen. Extracts of this letter have been published by “Financial Times”.

Head of the Hungarian government has already announced twice before that his country “will not give way under the pressure “ and will not support sanctions against Russia, which would mean resignation from the purchase of Russian gas and oil.

Neither Hungary nor the EU as a whole is ready to adopt and implement the measures as proposed by the EC. Sanctions should be adopted at a time when all necessary preconditions are met in all member states – the media quote Viktor Orban’s letter, in which he states among others that the sixth package of sanctions goes far beyond the UE consensus.

“The European Commission cannot create a situation, in which the sanctions would bring greater harm to Hungary than Russia” – underlined the head of the Hungarian government. He also paid attention to the fact that adopting the sanction by the European Commission would require from one country “ serious upgrade in alternative supply infrastructure and a complete rearrangement of refinery capacities. . These efforts take time and necessitate investment that is redundant and therefore cannot be financed on a market basis. The prime minister of Hungary also underlined that the prices of energy have already reached the highest value for 40 years and the sanctions would lead to their further rise increasing at the same time the burden for the poorest ones.

Reuters quoted , referring to EU source, that Hungary and Slovakia will be able to import Russian oil until the end of 2023 based on current contracts. It is to be proposed by the European Commission in order to avoid these two countries’ veto against sanctions – Hungary will not support UE sanctions against Russia, which would make it impossible to import Russian oil and gas – declared Hungarian minister of foreign affairs Peter Szijjarto on Tuesday. (info:euroactiv.pl, photo:theweek)

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23 June 2026

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About the Three Seas Initiative in Davos

23 January 2026

About the Three Seas Initiative in Davos

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23 January 2026

Polish President Karol Nawrocki emphasized in Davos the strategic importance of the Three Seas Initiative as a key platform for infrastructural, economic, and geopolitical cooperation in Central and Eastern Europe. The opening speech of the panel „Three Seas Initiative: geostrategic business opportunities – a bridge to the future – from the Adriatic, the Baltic, the Black Sea to Asia” took place as part of the Leaders Forum powered by Poland during the World Economic Forum in Davos. Former polish president Andrzej Duda participated as well.

President Nawrocki noted that over the course of a decade the Three Seas Initiative has evolved from a political concept into a mature cooperation mechanism that has tangible impact on the regional development.

“Ten years ago, the Three Seas Initiative began as an idea. Up until today it has evolved into a strategic framework for regional transformation, and alliance of innovation and infrastructure, and a symbol of Central and South-Eastern Europe’s maturity and confidence on the world stage” – told the President.

In his address the President also emphasized the strong transatlantic anchoring of the Three Seas Initiative. He stressed that from the very beginning, the Initiative was conceived as an open project, strengthening cooperation between the European Union and partners outside Europe, particularly the United States. In this context, the Three Seas Initiative was presented as a “bridge” connecting a dynamically developing region with global capital, technology, and markets.

” The Three Seas Initiative has never been an inward-looking project (…) it has been strategically anchored in the transatlantic partnership that unites Europe and North America”.

The President drew attention to the geostrategic dimension of cooperation within the Three Seas region in the face of global challenges such as geopolitical instability, pressure on supply chains, and competition for resources. He pointed out that the development of modern infrastructure and the deepening of economic cooperation constitute the foundation of security and long-term growth.

The speech also had a strong economic dimension. The President of Poland underlined Poland’s ambitions to strengthen its position in the global economy and its aspirations to join the G20, highlighting the growing role of the Three Seas region as one of the engines of growth in Europe. At the same time, he invited international investors to actively participate in projects implemented under the framework of the Initiative.

During the World Economic Forum in Davos, President Karol Nawrocki also met with President of the United States Donald Trump. The main topics of their talks were security and economic issues.

THE PRESIDENT’S SPEECH IS AVAILABLE HERE

Photo credit: © Mikołaj Bujak/KPRP, Source: https://www.prezydent.pl/aktualnosci/wizyty-zagraniczne/prezydent-w-davos-o-inicjatywie-trojmorza,113783