Orban calls for the lifting of Western sanctions against Russia: “They hurt Europe the most”

The Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban informed the ruling Fidesz party that EU-imposed sanctions against Russia should be lifted, pro-government newspaper Magyar Nemzet wrote late last night.

Government spokesman Zoltan Kovacs confirmed Orban’s comments in an emailed response to Reuters.

Orban, a fierce critic of EU sanctions against Moscow over its invasion of Ukraine, made the comments at a closed-door meeting of his party members on Wednesday.

According to the Magyar Nemzet report, Orbán said that EU sanctions have led to an increase in the prices of natural gas and inflation and added that if these were lifted, natural gas prices would immediately drop by 50%, while inflation would also drop.

Without the sanctions, Europe could regain its strength and avoid the threatened recession, Orbán is reported to have said, reiterating that sanctions hit Europe the hardest than Russia.

On his Facebook page, Orbán posted the following: “Brussels sanctions have pushed Europe into an energy crisis.”

In July, Orban said the EU had “shot itself in the lungs” with badly designed economic sanctions against Russia, which if not lifted, risk destroying the European economy.

Orbán has a good relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Until now he supported EU sanctions against Russia. At the same time, he managed to negotiate an exemption for his country from the oil embargo.

Decisions to impose EU sanctions require unanimity among member countries. Hungary has been a member of the bloc since 2004

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