Brussels, 27 January 2025 (dpa/MIA) - Hungary on Monday withdrew a veto halting the extension of the European Union's sanctions on Russia, paving the way for the measures to be in place for another six months.

A delegation of the government of Prime Minister Viktor Orban backed the decision at a meeting of EU foreign affairs ministers in Brussels after receiving guarantees on energy security, a government spokesman wrote on X.

The vast sanctions the EU has imposed on Russia since its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 were due to expire at the end of January.

"Europe delivers: EU Foreign Ministers just agreed to extend again the sanctions on Russia," EU foreign affairs chief Kaja Kallas wrote on X.

"This will continue to deprive Moscow of revenues to finance its war. Russia needs to pay for the damage they are causing," she added.

The European Commission and the EU's foreign affairs chief issued a statement assuring Hungary that its concerns about energy security will be addressed.

Orban had demanded that Ukraine "guarantee oil and gas transit to Europe," he wrote on X. A pipeline that had previously transported Russian natural gas to Central Europe including to Hungary was recently closed.

A decision on the rollover of the sanctions was initially planned for the end of last year but Orban blocked a decision for several weeks. He also said that he would only make a decision after the inauguration of US President Donald Trump.

Orban has repeatedly criticized the sanctions on Russia as useless and bad for the European economy.

Photo: Foreign Affairs Council