Hungarian PM Orbán Says EU Sanctions on Russia Have Harmed Europe’s Economy

Viktor Orbán, the Prime Minister of Hungary, stated that the sanctions imposed to weaken Russia have in practice caused significant consequences for Europe and have harmed the continent’s economy.

Orbán wrote in a post on the social media platform X that Brussels had promised the sanctions would destroy Moscow, but the result has been a sharp increase in energy prices, loss of competitiveness, and Europe falling behind on its path to economic growth.

The Hungarian Prime Minister emphasized that this situation is the cost of wrong political decisions and that instead of escalating tensions, the path of dialogue and negotiation should be pursued.

Since the beginning of the Ukraine crisis, the Hungarian government has consistently stressed resolving the conflict quickly through peaceful means. Orbán has previously stated that the military actions in Ukraine and Western sanctions against Russia have caused damages amounting to between 20 and 30 billion euros to Hungary’s economy.