English Section

Poland slaps sanctions on Russian oligarch removed from EU blacklist under Hungary's pressure

17.03.2025 10:00
Poland has imposed fresh national sanctions on Russian oligarch Moshe Kantor after Hungary successfully pushed for his removal from an EU blacklist, Polish European Affairs Minister Adam Szłapka has said.
Moshe Kantor
Moshe KantorEPA/Jonas Ekstromer

In a post on X on Sunday, Szłapka said that, despite "massive opposition" from Hungary and its threat of a veto, the European Union managed to renew sanctions on almost 2,000 individuals and over 500 entities tied to Russia’s war in Ukraine.

Hungary insisted that Kantor—previously one of Europe’s largest fertilizer producers and former president of the European Jewish Congress—be taken off the list.

Following Kantor’s removal from the EU sanctions list, Polish Interior Minister Tomasz Siemoniak announced on X that he has signed an order declaring the oligarch a persona non grata in Poland.

Siemoniak said that the measure extends an existing 2022 ban by adding a freeze on Kantor’s assets and financial resources.

EU sanctions renewed

Kantor was delisted along with two other individuals under pressure from Budapest, which threatened to veto the entire package unless they were removed.

EU negotiators on Friday agreed to sacrifice these three to preserve sanctions against over 2,400 individuals, businesses and organizations, public broadcaster Polish Radio’s IAR news agency reported.

The sanctions list includes Russian President Vladimir Putin and senior figures ranging from military commanders and government ministers to propagandists and officials implicated in the abduction of Ukrainian children from occupied territories.

(jh/gs)

Source: IAR