Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has called on the European Union authorities to work intensively to lift its sanctions on Russia before the end of the year. Throughout a meeting held by the ruling Fidesz and Christian Democratic parties, he said that the Russia-Ukraine war is no longer a local conflict, so the EU’s sanctions against Russia have turned it into a global economic war, as informed by a news report from Schengen Visa.
In addition, he emphasized that it was clear that the war would be prolonged and that now the protection of Hungary’s security, economy, and sovereignty was of greater importance. “That is why the government set up a national defense fund, withdrew soldiers from the frontiers, and set up a border patrol unit, adding that additional troops were needed to defend the country. While the war worries people, it is inflation that impacts them directly, the Prime Minister pointed out in this regard.
According to him, before the April elections, economic trends looked predictable despite the war in Ukraine, but the EU still passed its own sanctions, including a ban on oil and gas purchases, which has caused the price of gas to triple since June. He claims that if the EU were to lift its sanctions, prices would immediately halve, along with inflation, adding that Europe’s economy would revive, and an imminent recession would be avoided.
Previously, Hungary has announced that it will not support visa restrictions for Russians, despite several other countries imposing such bans on those citizens, in solidarity with Ukrainians suffering from the war.
As explained by the Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Peter Szijjarto, he said that Hungary does not even want to discuss energy sanctions, since it is about 85 percent dependent on Russian gas.
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