The European Union agreed on Friday to renew sanctions on Russian individuals and entities but kept Russian tycoon Mikhail Fridman on the list despite pressure from Hungary, EU diplomats said.

Russia may be freed from EU sanctions as early as the morning of March 16 if Hungary blocks their extension. Read below why this time Budapest's purely pragmatic demands have been joined by political ones,

The EU has removed a number of Russians from its sanctions list after pressure from Hungary and Slovakia, securing a deal to extend broader measures. The move highlights growing divisions within the bloc over its stance on Moscow,

Hungary has withdrawn its veto, allowing the European Union to renew sanctions on more than 2,400 individuals and entities, mostly from Russia, just two days before the measures were set to expire. The breakthrough came on Friday morning,

The EU has agreed to extend sanctions against Russia for another six months. Hungary is ready to give the "green light" if three individuals are excluded from the sanctions list, according to a statement by Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty correspondent Rikard Jozwiak,