"Putin has not changed his goals": the EU assures that it will not ease sanctions

There is no reason to lift sanctions against the Russian Federation, despite the statements of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban. After all, the Kremlin dictator Vladimir Putin has not changed his goal.

This was stated by EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas on January 17, Barron's reports."We definitely need sanctions. This is our leverage, and it would be very strange to give it up," she told reporters.

The politician emphasized that nothing has changed, Putin still has the same goals. "Therefore, there are no grounds for lifting the sanctions," she said.

To recap: The European Union has imposed 15 rounds of sanctions against Moscow since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, which began on February 24, 2022.

The next decision on the extension of economic restrictions must be made by January 31. To do so, all 27 EU member states must give their consent.

However, Orban, one of the closest allies of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump and a European leader friendly to Russia, refused to vote in favor. He said that "a new era is beginning" and Brussels must adapt to the changed situation.

"It is time to throw sanctions out the window and create a system of relations with Russia without sanctions. This is still a long way off, but we have to work on it... At the moment, the signals from Brussels are not encouraging," he said in an interview with state radio.

Kallas, for her part, warned that whatever the negotiations, "we will be in a much weaker position" if the restrictions are lifted prematurely.

"I also don't think it would be in the United States' favor to lift the sanctions now," she added.

As OBOZ.UA previously reported:

– The European Union, according to media reports, is developing a backup plan in case Orban tries to veto the extension of sanctions imposed on Russia. For this purpose, an 81-year-old law with the participation of King Philip of Belgium may be used.

– In early January, the United States announced the imposition of sanctions against a senior Hungarian government official, Antal Rogan, who served as Prime Minister Orban's chief of staff. These measures are part of the Global Magnitsky program due to Rogan's involvement in corruption schemes.

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