Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto called the decision of the Ukrainian authorities to include the Hungarian OTP Bank in the list of “international sponsors of the war” “scandalous and outrageous” and admitted that it could prevent Hungary from supporting the next EU sanctions against Russia.
The National Agency of Ukraine for the Prevention of Corruption (NAPC) recognized OTP Bank as an “international sponsor of the war” in early May.
On his social media page, Szijjarto wrote that the activity of the financial institution complies with international law, RBC reports. “I made it clear at the meeting of the EU Council of Foreign Ministers that it is very difficult for us to even start negotiations on the 11th package of sanctions while OTP Bank is on this Ukrainian list,” he said and demanded that Kiev remove the bank from the list.
At a meeting on May 12, EU ambassadors failed to agree on new sanctions, Polish diplomat Andrzej Sados told reporters. According to him, many issues “require a thorough expert analysis.” Sados said that Warsaw is demanding restrictions on Russian transport companies, diamonds, agri-food products, and the nuclear industry.
The head of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, on May 9, during a visit to Kyiv, reported that the new package of sanctions would focus on circumventing already imposed restrictions. Last week, proposals for new restrictions were sent to the EU countries for approval.
Source: Rosbalt
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