The U.S. Senate is preparing sanctions against Hungarian officials for blocking aid to Ukraine
A bipartisan bill has been introduced in the U.S. that would impose sanctions on high-ranking officials in the Hungarian government. The initiative was prompted by Budapest’s blocking of international aid to Ukraine.
The bill, titled the Block Putin Act, was drafted by Senators Jean Shaheen and Tom Tillis, according to the Financial Times.
It would require the Donald Trump administration to impose financial restrictions and travel bans on Hungarian officials involved in the purchase of Russian energy resources and attempts to undermine support for Kyiv.
Under the initiative, sanctions could be applied to officials who:
- contribute to Hungary’s energy dependence on Russia;
- block or hinder international aid to Ukraine;
- participate in the procurement of Russian oil and gas.
At the same time, the text of the document does not mention Prime Minister Viktor Orbán. This means that the U.S. administration will independently determine the list of individuals subject to sanctions if the bill is passed.
Tom Tillis emphasized that the bill offers Hungary a “clear path back into the circle of allies” if it stops blocking aid to Ukraine and renounces Russian energy sources.
In addition, U.S. lawmakers were outraged by reports of a possible visit by U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance to Budapest ahead of the elections. Some senators called this “support for a corrupt regime” which, in their view, is funding the Russian war machine.
The bill must go through the full adoption process in the U.S. Senate before taking effect.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán stated that gas supplies to Ukraine are gradually being halted until the transit of Russian oil through the Druzhba pipeline is restored.
The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry is hearing for the first time about an EU mission to inspect the Druzhba pipeline.
Earlier it was reported that on Wednesday, March 18, European experts will visit the Druzhba pipeline in Ukraine. They are to assess the situation at the facility ahead of an important meeting of EU leaders regarding financial aid to Kyiv.
It was also reported that Ukraine has accepted EU aid for the repair of the Druzhba pipeline.
