The European Union has reached a deal with Hungary to renew sanctions on more than 2,400 primarily Russian entities and individuals hours before they were set to expire on March 15, an EU official with knowledge of the negotiations told the Kyiv independent.

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,

The EU Friday agreed to drop three Russian individuals from its sanctions list as the price for Hungary's Viktor Orban to drop a threat to veto Europe's sanctions against Russia.

The European Union (EU) is facing a major challenge as Hungary is threatening to block the renewal of sanctions against around 2,000 Russian individuals. These sanctions include travel restrictions and the freezing of assets belonging to politicians and business figures believed to have supported Russia’s war efforts in Ukraine.

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. EU sanctions must be renewed every six months in a unanimous vote by the 27 member states' ambassadors to Brussels.

Hungary has used its veto to force the lifting of EU sanctions on several Russians, several diplomats confirmed to dpa on Friday. One of the Russians involved is oligarch Viatcheslav Moshe Kantor, a major shareholder in one of Russia's largest fertilizer manufacturers who has close ties to President Vladimir Putin.