Brussels EU leaders 'ready to agree more sanctions'

EU leaders - apart from Hungary's Viktor Orbán - said yesterday that they were ready to increase pressure on Russia through further sanctions.

- Jennifer Rankin Brussels Miranda Bryant

Meeting in Brussels, leaders of the bloc also agreed to strengthen their existing measures following talks with Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who joined via video link.

The show of unity was marred by Orbán repeating his refusal to support an EU text that stated: "The European Council calls on Russia to show real political will to end the war."

The Hungarian prime minister had also declined to support the EU position two weeks ago.

His growing confidence in diverging over Ukraine raises questions about the bloc's plan to impose new sanctions and renew existing ones, although diplomats take comfort from the fact Hungary has always backed down in the past.

Zelenskyy, who flew to Norway for talks yesterday, told EU leaders: "Please do not ease pressure on Russia over the war. Sanctions must remain in place until Russia starts withdrawing from our land and fully compensates for the damage caused by its aggression."

In a clear reference to Hungary's efforts to wreck Ukraine's EU accession talks, Zelenskyy added, without naming any country: "It is simply anti-European when one person blocks decisions that are important for the entire continent or that have already been agreed upon."