Long reputed to be Russia-friendly, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has often railed against the continuation of the EU sanctions, claiming that they impose an intolerable burden on the Hungarian economy and provide no solution for the carnage in Ukraine.

EU sanctions against Russia are bad, but it's all good when Donald Trump threatens to impose them, according to Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán.

Following a potentially meaningless declaration from the European Commission on Monday that the E.U. will continue talking to Kyiv about “the supply to Europe through the gas pipeline system in Ukraine,

Hungary wants the European Union to intervene in a gas dispute it has with Ukraine, a potential sign of friction in the bloc’s upcoming discussions over renewing sanctions against Russia.

European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said she expected the bloc to renew its sanctions on Russia on Monday after Hungary signalled it would stop holding up the move in return for assurances about energy security.

Before reupping the sanctions, Budapest wanted to wait for Trump's inauguration, then insisted Brussels push Ukraine to reopen a gas pipeline running to Central Europe.

Hungary wants the European Union to persuade Ukraine to resume gas transit from Russia to Europe, Prime Minister Viktor Orban said on Friday, signalling a tough debate as the EU seeks to extend its sanctions against Russia over the coming week.

The European Union renewed on Monday its wide-ranging sanctions on Russia over the war in Ukraine, after Hungary stopped holding up the move in return for a declaration on energy security.

Aleksandr Lukashenko has awarded himself a seventh term as president of Belarus, with the West calling the so-called vote a sham and introducing additional sanctions. Belarusian political observer Artsiom Shraibman told the Kyiv Independent that Lukashenko faces uncertain future after the vote.

Ukraine’s bombardment of energy infrastructure in western Russia is now a month old. Kyiv says its kamikaze aircraft are getting results. Moscow says its air defenses shoot everything down.

The Prime Minister of Hungary, Viktor Orban, has once again threatened to veto the European Union's sanctions against Russia. This will happen if Ukraine does not restore the transit of Russian gas, Bloomberg reports.