Trump's actions regarding USAID encouraged Orbán, Fico and Vučić to increase pressure on non-governmental organizations and media in their countries. The governments of Hungary, Serbia and Slovakia have stepped up their efforts.
Radosław Sikorski called on the Polish opposition to influence Hungary to unblock negotiations on Ukraine's accession to the EU. He expressed concern about the cooperation of Hungarians with centers that weaken the EU.
On March 18, from 12:00 to 16:00, traffic and people will not be allowed through the "Kosyno" checkpoint. The reason is the connection of an uninterruptible power supply system.
The ruling FIDESZ party has introduced a bill banning the organization of annual gay parades in Budapest. Orbán has recently stepped up attacks on LGBTQ groups.
US support is important for EU sanctions against Russia. But Trump can change tactics at any moment, which will affect the European region and further relations with Russia.
Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó said that Hungary does not support the €20 billion financing for Ukraine.
Italy is among the top five countries shaping the "decline" of the rule of law in Europe. The impact of government decisions in Slovakia and Croatia is also a cause for concern, and Romania, France and Germany are not immune to problems in the context of the “democratic recession”.
The EU's chief diplomat announced the acceleration of work on a new aid package for Ukraine. The proposal takes into account the position of countries that want to cooperate, against the backdrop of Hungary blocking aid.
Hungary will hold a vote on Ukraine's accession to the European Union. The country's government has published a sample ballot with the question of whether Hungarians support Ukraine's accession to the EU.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has issued 12 demands to the EU, including a point that the European Union should exist, but without Ukraine's membership. He published his demands on Saturday.
Eurostat reported a record life expectancy in the EU – 81. 4 years. The longest life expectancy is in Spain (Madrid), Italy (Trento) and the Åland Islands, and the shortest is in Bulgaria.
The EU Council has extended individual sanctions against Russia. 3 deceased persons have been removed from the list and 4 persons have not been renewed, but the EU is ready to increase pressure on Russia.
The EU has extended sanctions against Russia until September 15, 2025, but removed 4 individuals from the list under pressure from Hungary and Slovakia. The restrictions apply to almost 2,400 individuals and legal entities.
The EU will lift sanctions against Kantor, Degtyarev and Ismailova after Hungary blocked the extension of sanctions against the Russian Federation. The compromise allowed to maintain sanctions against more than 2,400 Russians.
The European Union has approved the extension of sanctions against Russia for another six months, until September 15, 2025, despite Hungary's veto. Kantor, Ismailova, Degtyarev, and Rashevsky have been removed from the sanctions list.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán stated that Ukraine's accession to the EU requires unanimous support, and the final word remains with Hungary. He does not consider it fair to compare Ukraine with other candidate countries.
The European Union will agree on March 14 to extend personal sanctions against Russian citizens for 6 months. Hungary has given its consent after the removal of three people from the list.
Hungary threatens to block the extension of EU sanctions against 2,000 Russians, demanding the exclusion of oligarch Fridman. Restrictions expire on Saturday unless all EU countries agree to an extension.
An outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease has been recorded in Hungary. Ukraine has banned the import of animals, genetic materials, and animal products from this country.
A Ukrainian drone likely attacked the measuring station of the "Druzhba" pipeline, leading to a temporary halt in oil supplies to Hungary. Repair work is underway, and the resumption of transit is expected in the evening.
Donald Trump is considering the possibility of withdrawing 35,000 American soldiers from Germany and relocating them to Hungary. The decision may be related to the dissatisfaction of the United States regarding European defense spending.
Foot-and-mouth disease has been found on a Hungarian farm with 1,400 heads of cattle - the first case in half a century. Authorities are taking strict measures, fearing a repeat of the 2001 epidemic that cost Europe 15 billion euros.
Ukraine will receive over 30 billion euros from the EU in 2024 regardless of the latest decisions in Brussels. 26 EU countries supported the statement regarding the impossibility of negotiating about the war without Ukraine's participation.
In February 2025, nine Ukrainian book shelves were opened in six countries around the world. New locations appeared in Greece, Finland, Hungary, Poland, Portugal, and Morocco.
The President of the European Council commented on the issue of Hungary possibly blocking sanctions. He emphasized that over the past two years, the EU has adopted 16 packages of sanctions, the latest one being two weeks ago.
Kostya commented on Hungary's opposition to supporting the statement on Ukraine at the EU summit. According to him, Hungary has a different approach and has remained isolated among the 27 member states.
26 EU member countries agreed on the text of the final communiqué regarding further support for Ukraine, with only Hungary not supporting the document. In the case of a Hungarian veto, two alternative courses of action were considered.
Viktor Orban, instead of communicating with the press before the EU summit, published a post about the meeting with Macron. He stated agreement on strengthening Europe's defense capabilities, despite the differences regarding peace.
EU member states have not reached an agreement on the proposal to determine a specific amount of military aid to Ukraine for 2024. The European Commission proposes to mobilize up to 800 billion euros for European defense.
Members of the European Parliament from the Volt party are preparing a 9-point plan for reforming the EU. Among the proposals are stripping Hungary of its voting rights and creating a joint European army.
