UNITED NATIONS (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 23rd September, 2022) Budapest sees no "rational reason" to pursue another package of sanctions against Russia and will not give its consent to anything that is against its national interests, Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said on Friday.
"Our position is crystal clear. And I do not say that only because I know where you are from. This is our position that we do not see any rational reason to go for another package of sanctions, especially when it comes to energy," Szijjarto told journalists after the meeting with Russian Foreign Sergey Lavrov on the sidelines of the 77th session of the UN General Assembly, adding that "energy is a clear red line for us. We are not ready to force Hungarian people to pay the price of a war which they are absolutely not responsible for."
The foreign minister said that Budapest will take part in the discussion on new sanctions against Russia, adding that "we will not give our consent to anything that is against our national interest."
Szijjarto noted that the European economy "is heading into a recession."
"And we think it is totally against the interest of Europe and the European people... We hope there is gonna be peace as soon as possible because this is our interest that would be a solution for everything. So we are praying for it," the foreign minister said.
On February 24, Russia began a military operation in Ukraine responding to calls for help from the breakaway republics of Donetsk and Luhansk. The West and its allies imposed comprehensive sanctions against Russia, with the European Union pledging to end its dependence on Russian energy supplies. The bloc has already approved seven packages of sanctions against Moscow, including a gradual phase-out of Russian oil. The Ukraine crisis and sanctions have resulted in disruptions of supply chains and a spike in energy prices worldwide.
