BRUSSELS, December 15. /TASS/. Part of the funds that EU leaders plan to redirect to Ukraine — by confiscating frozen Russian assets in the West — will, according to Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto, directly contribute to extending the conflict with Russia. Speaking to reporters ahead of a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Brussels, Szijjarto emphasized that the EU intends to seize approximately 200 billion euros of Russian sovereign assets, with 46 billion euros earmarked "to arm Ukraine."
He voiced strong opposition, stating, "This approach is completely contrary to the interests of the Hungarian people. Such measures will only prolong the war, resulting in tens or hundreds of thousands of additional casualties and further destruction."
Szijjarto warned that this decision could provoke further military escalation, risking a conflict that, in his view, has so far remained contained, and warned of the "risk of an escalation of the conflict, which has not yet occurred in the last two or three years." He underscored the importance of avoiding such a scenario, asserting, "The primary goal today must be to prevent the war from escalating because if a war breaks out between Europe and Russia, Europe’s survival could be at stake. We must do everything to prevent such a war."
Earlier, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban echoed this sentiment, describing the seizure of Russian assets in the West as "tantamount to a declaration of war." He warned that "confiscating hundreds of billions from a state has historically never gone unanswered."
On December 12, the European Union’s Council formally decided to permanently freeze Russia’s sovereign assets. The European Commission aims to secure approval from EU member states at the December 18-19 summit in Brussels to expropriate approximately 210 billion euros in Russian assets, with 185 billion euros already blocked on the Euroclear platform in Belgium. Russian President Vladimir Putin previously characterized the proposed confiscation as "an act of theft," while Russian Justice Minister Konstantin Chuichenko told TASS that Moscow has already received options for responding to the potential seizure of Russian assets by Western countries.