Hungary's PM says his country will not support EU sanctions on Russian religious figures

As the Russian-Ukraine war escalates and Western nations tightening sanctions on Moscow, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has stated that he will not support the European Commission's proposals for sanctions against religious figures. This development comes as the EU said that it was mulling sanctions against Patriarch Kirill, the head of the Russian Orthodox Church, which lies within the EU. He is among the dozens of Russians, along with all Rus' and the Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church, who are likely to face punitive measures, including an asset freeze and travel bans amid the ongoing war. Notably, the 78-year-old is one of the 58 people who are freshly targeted by the European Union.

Recently, in an interview with Kossuth Radio, PM Viktor Orbán stated that a serious economic crisis may await Europe and also mentioned that the sanctions on Russian resources would further increase the burden on several countries and that the European Union is not making any substantial efforts to mitigate the effects.

"European Commission Chief ignores the fact that the conditions in the states of the Union are completely different and makes a proposal that ignores the individual parameters of the countries. We cannot accept this, because it is half an atomic bomb for Hungary," said Orban.

Meanwhile, the European Union has also decided to impose sanctions on Russian hydrocarbons. Recently, European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen announced that the embargo would be approved in the coming few days. Notably, this punitive measure would come as a part of the EU's sixth package of sanctions. However, Hungary and Slovakia are seeking exemptions from supporting the move.

Why is the EU planning to impose sanctions on Patriarch Kirill?

Russian President Vladimir Putin and the patriarch of Moscow are closely linked. On several occasions, Kirill has even praised Putin's military adventures abroad, calling the military operation in Syria a "holy fight." Also, this time, Kirill used the same term to describe the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict as a "special military operation" rather than directly calling it a war launched by Russia. However, the Russian government stands in favour of the church as its revenue has been tax-free, among other services provided by the state to the church.

EU Sanctions on Russia

Ever since Russian President Vladimir Putin called for war against neighbouring Ukraine, it has united Western nations to stand against Moscow. Till now, the European Union has imposed five packages of sanctions against Russia and is preparing to impose its sixth package of sanctions.

The EU is making efforts to stop relying on Russian energy. It has already pledged to reduce gas imports by two-thirds by the end of this year and now plans to phase out crude oil over the next six months and refined products.

(Image: AP)