France, Feb. 24 -- The European Union has stumbled at a crucial moment in its effort to tighten pressure on Russia, after Hungary unexpectedly blocked a new round of sanctions just as leaders sought to project unity ahead of the war's fourth anniversary.

"This is a setback and a message we did not want to send today," said the EU's foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas, after Monday's meeting of foreign ministers failed to reach agreement. Diplomats had been racing to finalise both a fresh sanctions package and a major financial lifeline for Kyiv - a combined show of resolve as the conflict grinds on.

Four years on from Russia's full-scale invasion on 24 February 2022, the human toll remains immense, with an estimated 1.8 million Russian an...