The European Union approved a legal workaround under Article 122 between 7:17 PM and 7:46 PM UTC on Dec. 11 to sideline Hungary's Viktor Orbán and indefinitely immobilize €210 billion in Russian Central Bank assets, according to a POLITICO report shared by Bill Browder on X. Jorge Liboreiro explained in an X thread published in the same 29-minute window that the measure ensures the assets remain frozen forever, bypassing potential Hungarian vetoes. POLITICO detailed the approval as a significant step to maintain sanctions amid the Ukraine conflict. The decision occurs amid ongoing US-led peace talks on the Ukraine-Russia war, including President Donald Trump's plan capping Ukraine's army at 800,000 personnel with a Christmas deadline, as confirmed earlier on Dec. 11 by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy per prior Financial Times reports.
