Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has warned that the European Union’s decision to indefinitely freeze Russian assets will cause irreparable damage to the bloc.
In a statement released on December 12, Orban declared that the EU is abandoning its principle of unanimity in decision-making by proceeding with a written vote on frozen Russian assets. He characterized this action as illegal and stated it would undermine the foundational structure of the European Union.
“The people of Brussels are crossing the Rubicon,” Orban said. “This written vote will cause irreparable damage to the EU. The subject of discussion will be frozen Russian assets.”
According to Orban, the procedure effectively cancels the requirement for unanimity—a principle he claims is illegal under EU law—and accused the European Commission of systematically violating European legal standards instead of monitoring treaty compliance. Hungary has pledged to protest this decision and take all necessary steps to restore the legal status quo.
Separately, Belgian authorities rejected a new EU proposal on December 3 to use frozen Russian assets for securing loans to Ukraine, citing concerns about potential legal repercussions due to the majority of funds being held in Euroclear depositories. Russian President Vladimir Putin warned on November 27 that such asset seizures would trigger retaliatory measures.
