NEW YORK, December 20. /TASS/. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban told European Union leaders that he intends to wait for the inauguration of US President-elect Donald Trump on January 20 and then make a decision on extending EU sanctions against Russia, Bloomberg reported, citing sources.

The news agency recalled that the EU has introduced 15 sanctions packages against Russia, which must be extended every six months. The next time this is to be done is at the end of January, 11 days after Trump's inauguration. Extending the sanctions requires a unanimous decision by the 27 EU member states, and Orban can veto it, Bloomberg pointed out.

Toward the end of the EU summit, the Hungarian prime minister "surprised his colleagues" by saying he was not ready to extend the sanctions, the sources said.

Earlier, Orban told the Mandiner magazine that Hungary was counting on Trump, who promised to address the Ukrainian issue after taking office. The prime minister believes that "the new American leadership will confront the pro-war Brussels elite on the war" in Ukraine.