Budapest and Bratislava are moving away from a tradition of acting in concert with the Visegrad four, opposing the automatic renewal of sanctions against Russia (Poland, Hungary, Slovakia, and the Czech Republic).

Hungary, Italy, and Greece, objected to the "automatic" extension of EU sanctions on Russia on Monday, March 14.

Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto told Reuters "we believe that the question of sanctions should be decided at the highest level. It cannot be automatic." In ...