EU sanctions against Russia are bad, but it's all good when Donald Trump threatens to impose them, according to Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán.

The European Union is facing another potential showdown with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban over his refusal to sign off on an extension of sanctions on Russia over its war against Ukraine.

Hungary is imposing conditions on Ukraine in return for agreeing to the extension of the EU's economic sanctions on Russia, which expire at the end of the month. Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said on state radio that Kiev should reopen the pipeline that was closed at the beginning of the year and had previously transported Russian natural gas to Central Europe,

“Now the issue of extending sanctions is on the agenda, I have put on the handbrake and asked European leaders to understand that this cannot continue,” said Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, speaking to state broadcaster Kossuth Radio. “Hungary cannot be made to pay the price of sanctions in such proportions.”

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has warned that Hungary will block the extension of EU sanctions on Russia unless Ukraine agrees to reopen a key gas pipeline that runs through its territory, supplying gas to Central European nations like Hungary.

Orban, widely seen as having the warmest relations with the Kremlin in the EU, has broken with the majority of European leaders and vocally opposed such sanctions, arguing they did more to damage Euro

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban threatened on Friday to block the next rollover of EU sanctions against Russia unless Brussels helps achieve a restart of Russian gas transit via Ukraine, which was halted on Jan.

The European Union (EU) has been placing sanctions on Russia since the beginning of the full-scale war in Ukraine. These sanctions are meant to pressure Russia into stopping its attacks. However, the EU can only continue these sanctions if every country in the group agrees.

Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó, following Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, has declared that Budapest will block the next extension of EU sanctions against Russia unless Ukraine "refrains from measures that harm Hungary’s energy security".