EU countries intend to accelerate the decision on immobilizing up to 210 billion euros of Russian sovereign assets to bypass Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, the Financial Times reports, writes UNN.
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"EU members intend to accelerate the decision to immobilize up to 210 billion euros of Russian sovereign assets to bypass Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán before European leaders meet at next week's summit," the publication writes.
According to officials familiar with the plans, the push to pass legislation that would provide emergency powers to overcome national vetoes on extending sanctions is aimed at protecting Brussels' influence in US-led peace talks on the war in Ukraine.
Diplomats working on the legislation see an advantage in quickly separating the issue of asset immobilization from the debate over raising loans for Ukraine backed by frozen Russian funds, the publication writes. This funding issue will be left to EU leaders next week.
The decision to vote next week, which ignores the principle of unanimity in sanction decisions, risks angering Hungary and other capitals that oppose the measure, the publication notes.