Hungary and Slovakia’s vetoes over the Druzhba pipeline disruption have stalled broader Russia sanctions, complicating the EU’s 2026 crypto crackdown and exposing the bloc’s unanimity constraint.
Several European Union member states are seeking carve-outs or blocking parts of Brussels’ latest Russia sanctions efforts, complicating what had been presented as the bloc’s toughest move yet against crypto-based sanctions evasion. Hungary vetoed the proposed 20th sanctions package in February 2026 after damage from Russian strikes in late January halted crude deliveries through the Druzhba pipeline to Hungary and Slovakia, and Slovak resistance followed by April. Because EU foreign policy decisions require unanimity, the standoff has delayed both new measures and the renewal of more than 2,700 Russian-linked listings after a March 15, 2026 deadline passed. In the crypto sphere, the EU’s 20th sanctions package was described as adopted on April 23, 2026, imposing a sectoral ban on transactions with Russia-based crypto-asset service providers and banning RUBx, a stablecoin pegged to the Russian ruble, with measures due to take effect on May 24, 2026. A 21st package announced between June 8 and 10, 2026 expanded restrictions to 31 additional Russian banks and 20 third-country entities, including crypto firms and platforms allegedly helping sanctions evasion. The bloc’s last successful extension of economic sanctions against Russia came in June 2026, keeping those measures in place until July 31, 2027, while officials also weighed ways to overcome the unanimity rule, including qualified majority voting, though changing that framework would itself require unanimous approval under EU treaties.