Hungary again blocked the sixth package of sanctions against Russia at a meeting of EU ambassadors, demanding that the leader of the Russian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Kirill, be removed from the list of sanctioned persons.

With that request, Hungary blocked the adoption of the sixth package of sanctions, which includes an embargo on the import of Russian oil, after a political agreement was reached at the level of heads of state or government. For this agreement to become law, it must be approved by the ambassadors or ministers of the member states.

According to diplomatic sources, consultations are under way with Budapest to lift the blockade. A meeting of the Permanent Representatives Committee, composed of the ambassadors of the member states, is scheduled for Thursday afternoon in Luxembourg.