Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna has issued a stark warning, suggesting that the European Union might have to yield €240 billion of frozen assets to Russian President Vladimir Putin should Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban obstruct the renewal of sanctions against Russia in June, as reported by Spiegel.

Tsahkna called for a more resolute stance from European leaders towards Orban, signaling that Budapest's voting rights might be revoked to prevent fractures within the EU. He accused Hungary of aligning with Putin and warned that Orban could obstruct critical EU decisions on security and foreign policy. The Treaty on European Union allows the removal of a member state's voting rights if it jeopardizes European security—a charge Tsahkna leveled against Orban.

The Estonian minister highlighted that the prospect of invoking this provision is increasingly plausible. He underscored that Europe had frozen $240 billion in Russian Central Bank assets, requiring sanction renewals every six months. Should Hungary choose to block these renewals in June, the EU might be compelled to hand over these funds to Putin, Tsahkna cautioned.

To avoid having to explain to EU citizens why funds would be handed to Putin, who intends to use them against Ukraine and the EU, the assets may need to be confiscated, asserted Tsahkna. He affirmed the existence of a legal framework for such a measure. "We must ensure that even without unanimity, the money isn't transferred. It's unacceptable to demand funds from our taxpayers to support Ukraine while Russia, the aggressor, contributes nothing," he declared.

In the wake of Hungary's pledge to block the EU vote on extending sanctions against Russian individuals linked to the war in Ukraine, EU officials have reportedly found a legal "loophole" to potentially bypass Hungary's objections. This could curtail Prime Minister Orban's ability to veto resolutions through a special documentation.

  War in Ukraine, Russia, Sanctions, Estonia

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