US Senators Seek To Sanction Hungary Over Obstructing Ukraine Aid Because US Congress is perfectly functional, and all domestic issues have been resolved (one would very ironically think), the FT reports that a bipartisan pair of US senators are set to introduce legislation calling for sanctions to be imposed on senior Hungarian officials involved in obstructing aid to Ukraine. If passed, the Bloc...
US Senators Seek To Sanction Hungary Over Obstructing Ukraine Aid Because US Congress is perfectly functional, and all domestic issues have been resolved (one would very ironically think), the FT reports that a bipartisan pair of US senators are set to introduce legislation calling for sanctions to be imposed on senior Hungarian officials involved in obstructing aid to Ukraine. If passed, the Block Putin act would require President Trump to impose financial sanctions and visa bans on Hungarian government officials involved in the country’s purchases of Russian oil and gas, and who have sought to block support for Ukraine. The introduction of the bill comes as Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has held up a €90bn EU loan to Ukraine as he faces a tough re-election campaign ahead of parliamentary elections next month. Opinion polls indicated Orbán, who has served as prime minister since 2010, could lose power. The opposition Tisza party’s lead stood at 23% points on Wednesday, according to pollster Median. Pro-government polls show a slight lead for Orbán’s ruling Fidesz. Orbán, historically aligned with Vladimir Putin, has accused Kyiv of disrupting the flow of Moscow’s oil to Hungary by stalling repairs to the Druzhba pipeline, which transits Ukraine. Democrat Jeanne Shaheen and Republican Thom Tillis, co-chairs of the Senate Nato observer group, are set to introduce the legislation this week. The pair have been outspoken about Europe’s continued dependence on Russian energy. Tillis said: “The United States and our allies must remain united in supporting Ukraine and in cutting off the revenue streams that fuel Putin’s war.” “This bill holds senior Hungarian officials accountable while giving Hungary a clear path to get back in line with its allies by ending its reliance on Russian energy and stopping its obstruction of support for Ukraine,” he added. Shaheen, the top Democrat on the Senate foreign relations committee, said: “It is beyond belief that vice-presiden...
Asian stocks fall and Brent rises to over $115 a barrel; Trump says US could seize Iran’s export hub on Kharg Island Good morning, and welcome to our rolling coverage of business, the financial markets and the world economy. Asian stock markets have fallen while oil prices have climbed further, after Donald Trump said he wants to “take the oil” in Iran. To be honest with you, my favourite thing is...
Asian stocks fall and Brent rises to over $115 a barrel; Trump says US could seize Iran’s export hub on Kharg Island Good morning, and welcome to our rolling coverage of business, the financial markets and the world economy. Asian stock markets have fallen while oil prices have climbed further, after Donald Trump said he wants to “take the oil” in Iran. To be honest with you, my favourite thing is to take the oil in Iran, but some stupid people back in the US say: ‘why are you doing that?’ But they’re stupid people. Continue reading...
The World Trade Organization failed to extend a ban on e-commerce tariffs at its 14th ministerial conference, as at least one member opposed US efforts to make the moratorium permanent, Bloomberg reported. After four days of talks in Cameroon’s capital of Yaoundé, Cameroon’s Minister of Trade Luc-Magloire Mbarga Atangana, who served as the chair of MC14, said “we ran out of time” on issues includi...
The World Trade Organization failed to extend a ban on e-commerce tariffs at its 14th ministerial conference, as at least one member opposed US efforts to make the moratorium permanent, Bloomberg reported. After four days of talks in Cameroon’s capital of Yaoundé, Cameroon’s Minister of Trade Luc-Magloire Mbarga Atangana, who served as the chair of MC14, said “we ran out of time” on issues including the existing moratorium on customs duties for electronic transmissions. WTO Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala said on Sunday the e-commerce moratorium had expired, meaning countries could apply duties on electronic goods such as digital downloads and streaming. But she said the WTO hoped to be able to restore the moratorium and that Brazil and the U.S. were trying to reach agreement on it. Expectations had been low going into the meeting, but failure to even agree an extension to the e-commerce moratorium was a serious setback to the WTO, which has been struggling to remain relevant as countries increasingly work around it, Reuters reported. WTO talks would continue in Geneva, said the conference chair, Cameroon Trade Minister Luc Magloire Mbarga Atangana. They are expected to be in May, WTO officials said. Semiconductor ETFs: ( SMH ), ( SOXX ), ( SOXL ), ( FTXL ), ( XSD ), ( USD ), ( PSI ), and ( SEMI ). More on markets, Deep Yellow Limited Inches Closer To Production Invesco SteelPath MLP Alpha Fund Q4 2025 Commentary ConocoPhillips: Oman Pleas Highlight Industry Uncertainty NIP Group receives Nasdaq deficiency notice over minimum bid price UWM Holdings criticizes TWO management after acquisition proposal ends