If necessary, the number of Russians and Ukrainians facing visa bans and asset freezes in view of their roles in the Ukrainian crisis may be expanded, the Hungarian Foreign Minister said in Brussels on Monday after the EU foreign ministers had decided to impose such sanctions on 21 Russians and Ukrainians.

Minister Martonyi said that, if developments so required, an EU summit called for March 20-21 in Brussels could decide on expanding the list of people under sanctions and possibly postponing the EU-Russia summit. The sanctions agreed on yesterday would be enforced under the second stage of the three-stage plan of sanctions against Russia that EU heads of state and government adopted on 6 March. The first stage involves suspending talks with Russia on easing visa conditions and concluding a new partnership agreement. The second stage targets travel bans and asset freezes, as well as postponing the next EU-Russia summit. The third stage would involve broad economic and trade sanctions.

Foreign Minister Martonyi stressed that before making any decision on introducing a third stage of sanctions, which would mean measures with long-term economic consequences, the affects of such measures on the whole of the EU and on individual member states must be properly assessed. Should such an economic conflict develop, Hungary would be one of the member states hurt most severely due to its vulnerability to energy supplies, he added. In this case, the principles of solidarity and equal burden-sharing should prevail, Mr Martonyi stated.

The EU foreign ministers, together with EU Commissioner for Energy Günther Oettinger, also reviewed the steps required to reduce energy dependency. The first set of measures would include increasing the interoperability of the energy networks of individual EU member states. The other package would include measures aimed at increasing external energy sources, János Martonyi said.

(Ministry of Foreign Affairs)