The European Union is considering options to bypass a possible Hungarian veto on extending sanctions against Russia. One way could be through a World War II-era law in Belgium, the Financial Times reported, citing EU officials on Friday, January 17..

It is indicated that European officials are trying to convince Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban to extend sanctions and the seizure of Russian assets. We are talking about 190 billion euros in the Euroclear depository in Belgium. If the sanctions are not extended, then this money “will end up in Russia the next day,” since there will be no reason to support it, a European official told the publication.

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According to the publication, in this case, a royal decree from the Second World War (for 1944) could be used, allowing the Belgian King Philip I to block the transfer of frozen assets to Russia from the country.

" We have been able to reach an agreement in the past and we will continue to work to ensure that this is the case this time too,” said a spokesman for the Belgian Foreign Ministry.

Euroclear declined to comment. The royal palace declined to say whether EU officials had approached the king, adding that responsibility for such a decree lay with the government, although it would have to be signed by the king..

The day before it became known that Hungary is sabotaging EU sanctions against Russia without the consent of the elected US President Donald Trump. The corresponding statement was made by Hungarian Minister for European Union Affairs Janos Bock.

As you know, the EU has approved 15 packages of sanctions against Russia and is working on a 16th package of restrictions. At the same time, the Europeans extend existing sanctions every six months, but this requires a unanimous decision of 27 member countries.

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