(Jan 17): The European Union (EU) should end sanctions against Russia because Donald Trump’s administration is poised to usher in a “new era” from next week, said Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban.

“It’s time to throw sanctions out the window and to create a sanctions-free relationship with the Russians,” Orban told state radio on Friday. “This is some way off,” he added, “but we need to work on this.” 

The EU has imposed 15 rounds of sanctions on Moscow over its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, which need to be extended every six months. The next extension, which requires a unanimous decision among the 27 member states, is due by the end of January, 11 days after Trump is due to be sworn in.

Orban surprised his counterparts last month at an EU summit in Brussels by saying he wasn’t ready to move forward with an extension, Bloomberg News reported on Dec 19. In the radio interview, Orban stopped short of saying that he’d veto the extensions.

The Hungarian premier said it may take a “couple of months” for the EU to switch gears on Russian sanctions. The bloc “should be in the phase of getting sober,” but is instead doubling down on sanctions, he said. 

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