Polish gov't 'concerned' about Hungary's opposition to Russian oil ban

The Polish government’s spokesman has described as “concerning” Hungary's apparent opposition to the latest package of EU sanctions on Russia, which include oil imports.

Despite the fact that all 27 EU leaders reached an agreement on the sixth package of sanctions on Russia earlier this week, Hungary blocked the deal again on Wednesday and presented further demands, PAP has learnt from a source in the EU.

"Hungary's stance following the decisions already made at a European Council summit is concerning for us," Piotr Mueller said at a press conference on Thursday.

Mueller also appealed to Hungarian officials not to block the package.

"As far as we know, there are some minor issues that were voiced during a meeting of ambassadors," he said.

"The European Council arrangements were clear and Poland, and I also believe other EU countries, want this package of sanctions to be approved," Mueller said.

The new package would reduce imports of Russian oil to the EU by some 90 percent by the end of this year, a move that is expected to hit the Russian state budget hard.

A source in the EU told PAP earlier on Wednesday that Hungary demanded the removal of the head of the Russian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Kirill, from the list of sanctioned individuals.