BUDAPEST (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 18th November, 2022) Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said on Thursday that the resignation of European leaders, who supported sanctions and brought the economy of the European Union closer to a recession, would be a normal reaction.
"The EU wants new sanctions only to somehow justify its misguided decisions that are harmful because it will be necessary to name those responsible after declaring that sanctions were a dead end," Hungarian news agency MTI quoted Szijjarto as telling a meeting against sanctions.
The foreign minister added that "the leaders who supported the sanctions would have to come forward, say that because of them the European economy is close to recession, and resign. That would be a normal reaction from those who did damage to Europe by imposing sanctions."
The minister said that sanctions were the EU's "worst response" to the beginning of Russia's special military operation in Ukraine and called on Hungarian citizens to speak out against sanctions during national consultations.
"Hungary buys gas from Russia because it is physically impossible to solve the issue of gas deliveries without it, it is just the way the infrastructure in this region works," Szijjarto added.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said in late September that Hungary was the first European country to launch national consultations to seek citizens' views on EU sanctions against Russia. He called on all citizens of the country to express their opinions in a national consultation and thus "put an end" to the rise in energy prices caused by sanctions. Orban claimed that energy prices in Europe would decrease twofold in a few days if the EU changed its sanctions policy.
On November 15, the Hungarian government published a website where citizens can fill out questionnaires online. National consultations in Hungary will continue until December 9. Citizens are asked to express their attitude towards the sanctions against energy from Russia and sanctions that have caused a decrease in the number of Russian tourists and an increase in food prices.
Orban said earlier on Thursday that he had already finished the questionnaire and answered all questions negatively.
On September 8, said 11,000 sanctions were imposed against Russia, but they were unsuccessful, and the inflation and energy shortages caused by them could bring Europe to its knees. He also urged Europe to change its sanctions policy to avoid a crisis. On September 14, a senior Hungarian official said the EU was expected to reconsider its sanctions policy in the fall due to cold weather.
Western countries have increased sanctions pressure on Russia since the start of the special operation in Ukraine. Disruptions in supply chains have led to higher fuel and food prices across the EU, as well as in the United States, driving inflation to record levels and causing the cost of living to soar.
