Russian assets may be unfrozen after January 31 - Espreso correspondent

She stated this on the Espreso TV channel.

“Today, I tried to find out whether the European Commission has a ‘Plan B’ in case the EU governments fail to extend sanctions against Russia in the coming days. There is a risk that Hungary or Slovakia might veto their extension, and sanctions must be voted on by January 31 to extend them for another six months. Otherwise, they will be automatically canceled. The most concerning issue for Ukraine right now is that frozen Russian assets could be unfrozen after January 31 if Orban or Fico decides to do so and if the European Commission fails to find mechanisms to pressure them,” Vysotska explained.

Correspondent Tetiana Vysotska spoke with a Hungarian colleague regarding the likelihood of a scenario in which the sanctions would not be extended. She also officially raised this issue during a briefing but did not receive a clear answer, as the European Commission never officially comments on sanctions before their adoption or extension.

“The only thing the spokesperson noted was that the European Commission and the EU are committed to ensuring that Russia continues to pay a high price for all the crimes it commits in Ukraine. This means the sanctions are in place and should remain so. The Hungarian colleague also expressed doubts that Orban would actually dare to block the extension of sanctions, especially given Trump’s statement about the need for their continuation,” Vysotska remarked.

The correspondent added that tomorrow, January 24, a meeting of the ambassadors of the European Union member states will take place in Brussels to address the issue of sanctions against Russia.

“If the ambassadors fail to agree, and Hungary continues to signal the possibility of voting against the extension of sanctions, the matter will be brought up at the EU Foreign Affairs Council meeting on Monday. If the ministers also fail to reach an agreement, the situation will indeed become very complicated, as the sanctions may not be extended,” Vysotska emphasized.

• Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban criticized Ukraine for halting the transit of Russian gas and stated that Budapest may take countermeasures.