Pro-Kremlin Hungary has once again vetoed the European Union's (EU) allocation of €6.5bn to member states supplying weapons to Ukraine. Budapest also blocked sanctions targeting Georgian police chiefs over violence against pro-Western demonstrators, and  removed Russia's UN ambassador, the Russian Olympic Committee and two Russian football teams from the latest sanctions list against Moscow.

The EU Foreign Affairs Council approved the 15th sanctions package against Russia on December 16, which targets a total of 84 legal entities and individuals. The sanctions list also includes Chinese companies and North Korean officials.

Speaking after the council meeting, Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto – a regular visitor to the Kremlin, despite EU disapproval – said Hungary was the only country to block the disbursement of funds from the EPF and reiterated Budapest's long-standing opposition to mandatory contributions for arms shipments.

Hungary torpedoed the release of the EPF funds,  citing alleged discrimination against Hungarian companies in Ukraine and the risk to Hungary's energy supply after Ukraine extended a ban on the transit of oil by Lukoil.

He stressed that while Hungary would not interfere with member states funding such initiatives voluntarily, it would not support making these contributions compulsory.

Hungary also opposes the proposed relocation of an EU coordination unit to Kyiv and the deployment of advisors for security sector reforms, he added.

The latest sanctions package against Russia extends the legal option for Hungarian oil and gas company MOL to continue exporting products derived from Russian-origin oil.

Moreover, the minister rejected proposals to sanction Russia's UN ambassador and its Olympic Committee, stating, "mixing sports with geopolitics is unacceptable".

Hungary has become more obstructive to EU assistance to Kyiv and EU sanctions on Russia since Brussels froze part of Hungary's Cohesion Funds and Reconstruction Funds because of the Orban regime's violations of the rule of law, in an implicit blackmail tactic to get the funds released.

At the council meeting on Monday, radical rightwing Hungary, together with Slovakia's populist government, also vetoed sanctions against some Georgian police officials, claiming that Georgia was being targeted simply because a patriotic and conservative party, rather than liberal forces, had won the recent elections.

Georgia's ruling Georgian Dream party declared victory in an election in October that the opposition and international observers say was rigged. The government’s announcement of suspending EU accession talks until 2028 sparked protests and a violent crackdown on protesters.

Hungarian PM Viktor Orban was not only the sole EU leader to congratulate the ruling party for its election victory, but ignoring warnings from the EU, he travelled to Tbilisi a day after the vote to support the government in person.

EU foreign ministers at the meeting did agree to recommend to the Commission the suspension of visa-free travel for Georgian officials holding diplomatic passports following the crackdown in Georgia on pro-EU protests. This decision will only require a majority vote, which could take place next week.