Ukraine Russia Conflict: Hungary demands energy investment before imposing oil imports sanctions on Russia

Hungary said on Monday that it would stick to its demands for energy investment before it agrees to a Russian oil embargo. Early this month, the EU Commission proposed the new package of sanctions against the Kremlin but the measures have not yet been adopted, with Hungary being among the most vocal critics of the plan.

“Solutions first, sanctions afterward,” Hungary’s Justice Minister Judit Varga told journalists.

Meanwhile, Russia on 24th February launched its invasion of Ukraine. And, according to the latest updates, Ukraine has said it will not agree to any ceasefire deal that would involve handing over territory to Russia, as Moscow intensified its attack in the eastern Donbas region. Zelenskiy has extended Ukraine’s martial law for three months through to 23 August. Ukraine’s parliament also banned the symbols “Z” and “V”, used by Russia’s military to promote its war in Ukraine, but agreed to Zelenskiy’s call to allow their use for educational or historic purposes. Also, YouTube has taken down more than 70,000 videos and 9,000 channels related to the war in Ukraine for violating content guidelines, including removal of videos that referred to the invasion as a “liberation mission”.