The EU Friday agreed to drop three Russian individuals from its sanctions list as the price for Hungary's Viktor Orban to drop a threat to veto Europe's sanctions against Russia.

The EU has removed a number of Russians from its sanctions list after pressure from Hungary and Slovakia, securing a deal to extend broader measures. The move highlights growing divisions within the bloc over its stance on Moscow,

The European Union agreed on Friday to renew sanctions on Russian individuals and entities but kept Russian tycoon Mikhail Fridman on the list despite pressure from Hungary, EU diplomats said.

The President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen confirmed the extension of sanctions against Russia. She reported this on her page on the social network X. According to her, the EU approved sanctions against almost 2,400 individuals and legal entities due to Russia's aggression against Ukraine.

A source familiar with the matter has told European Pravda that EU ambassadors agreed on Friday 13 March to extend a number of EU sanctions against Russia after reaching an agreement with Hungary. Source: European Pravda Details: The source said the decision was made in writing.

The EU has agreed to remove four individuals from its sanctions list against Russia after a delay from Hungary, AFP and Reuters reported Friday, paving the way for the bloc to extend restrictions on more than 2,

Hungary has used its veto to force the lifting of EU sanctions on several Russians, several diplomats confirmed to dpa on Friday. One of the Russians involved is oligarch Viatcheslav Moshe Kantor, a major shareholder in one of Russia's largest fertilizer manufacturers who has close ties to President Vladimir Putin.