Hungary opens door to Kirill sanctions

Hungary’s new government has told European Union partners it is ready to stop blocking sanctions on Patriarch Kirill, the head of the Russian Orthodox Church, according to Euronews. The shift, reported on May 20, reopens one of the bloc’s longest-running internal disputes over Russia sanctions after Budapest under Viktor Orbán repeatedly shielded Kirill from designation. EU sanctions decisions require unanimity, so Hungary’s position had been enough to keep him off the list. Britain moved in the opposite direction on a separate sanctions front. Keir Starmer defended a decision on May 20 to ease restrictions on imports of Russian jet fuel and diesel after the United States issued a waiver, saying the licences were a temporary measure to protect consumers as war-linked supply disruptions pushed up prices. Channel News Asia reported the British move as fuel costs rose amid a wider Middle East supply shock. (euronews.com) ### Why was Kirill blocked in the first place? Patriarch Kirill was proposed for EU sanctions in 2022 after he backed Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, but Hungary forced his removal from the package before it was adopted, according to EU reporting and the Council’s sanctions timeline. Budapest had argued against targeting a religious leader, making Kirill one of the most visible names protected by Orbán’s government during the sanctions campaign. (channelnewsasia.com) The EU has since adopted 20 sanctions packages against Russia, the Council says, covering individuals, trade, finance, transport and energy. Kirill’s case stood out because it became a test of whether a single member state would keep using its veto on politically symbolic designations. ### What changed in Budapest? Euronews reported on May 20 that Hungary’s new government had signalled a willingness to back sanctions not only on Kirill but also on other previously protected figures. (euronews.com) The report said the change could clear a small new EU “mini-package,” though the contents and timing were still under discussion among member states. (consilium.europa.eu) EU institutions have not yet published a final legal act adding Kirill. Under the bloc’s process, diplomats first agree a package, then the Council formally adopts the measures and publishes the names in the Official Journal. ### Why is Britain easing fuel sanctions now? Britain’s sanctions guidance says licences can be issued for certain oil and oil-product activities, and Channel News Asia reported that London acted after receiving a U.S. waiver. (euronews.com) Starmer said the licences were temporary protections rather than a broader retreat from sanctions on Russia, according to the report. (consilium.europa.eu) The British government had only months earlier announced what it called its biggest sanctions package against Russia in four years. That package was presented as an effort to cut oil revenues and disrupt networks supporting Moscow’s war effort. ### Are the EU and UK still tightening sanctions overall? (channelnewsasia.com) The EU’s official sanctions pages say the bloc continues to add packages and maintain restrictions on Russian individuals, companies and sectors. Britain’s Russia sanctions guidance also remains in force, even as London uses licensing powers for limited exceptions. The next concrete step is formal adoption. (gov.uk) If EU governments agree the new package, the Council will publish the legal text and names in the Official Journal, and Britain’s fuel licences will remain subject to the terms set out by its sanctions authorities. (consilium.europa.eu 1) (consilium.europa.eu 2)