Message seen as reference to Ukraine war could create unnecessary tensions, says Seoul; Hungary to block new EU sanctions against Russia amid oil feud. What we know on day 1,461
South Korea’s foreign ministry has expressed concerns to the Russian embassy in Seoul over a large banner hung over its building that reads “victory will be ours” in Russian, the Yonhap news agency reported on Sunday, citing officials. The ministry noted the unnecessary tensions the banner could create with South Korean citizens and other countries as it was widely seen as a reference to Russia’s war in Ukraine, the report said. The Russian embassy had yet to remove the banner of the message, which the Soviet Union used during the second world war.
Hungary will block the EU’s next package of sanctions against Russia, the country’s foreign minister has said, in the latest step aimed at pushing Ukraine to resume the flow of Russian oil through a pipeline supplying Hungarian refineries. The EU is currently preparing a package against Russia over the war in Ukraine and while negotiations are ongoing, many member countries would like to agree the package in time for the fourth anniversary of Russia’s all-out invasion of Ukraine on Tuesday. “At tomorrow’s Foreign Affairs Council, the EU aims to adopt the 20th sanctions package. Hungary will block it,” Peter Szijjarto, the foreign minister, said on X on Sunday. “Until Ukraine resumes oil transit to Hungary and Slovakia via the Druzhba pipeline, we will not allow decisions important to Kyiv to move forward.” Ukraine condemned what it described as “ultimatums and blackmail” by Hungary and Slovakia at the weekend after both governments threatened to stop electricity supplies to Ukraine unless Kyiv restarted the Russian oil flows.
