Hungarian foreign minister: The EU should stop talking about an 8th package of Russia sanctions

Europe suffers from the sanctions introduced as a result of the Ukraine war more than Russia itself, so it would be best to dismiss the eighth package of sactions because they will only further deepen the problems, Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó said at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York.

The foreign ministry cited Szijjártó as saying after an informal meeting of the foreign affairs council that the punitive measures introduced so far “have beyond doubt hurt Europe much more than Russia” because they have resulted in soaring inflation and utility costs on the continent.

He said the “vast majority” of the world outside of Europe already realised that the effects of the sanctions were more severe than the effects of the war because the challenges that the world currently faces result from the sanctions and not directly from the war.

“Whether we like it or not in Europe, this opinion has already developed in the vast majority of the world outside Europe,” he added.

“The European Union should stop talking about an eighth package of sanctions and stop calling for measures that could further exacerbate the energy supply difficulties,” Szijjártó said.

“It clearly shows that even talking about the possibility of further sanctions pushes up prices,” he said.

The winter is approaching, when supply challenges will only worsen, he said and added that “it would be important to stop mentioning measures that further deepen the crisis”.

Szijjártó said it was a “waste of time” not to use the UNGA to achieve peace.

He also said it was important to support the International Atomic Energy Agency’s efforts in connection with the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant in order to guarantee the security of reactors, which requires all war activities to stop in the region as soon as possible.

As we wrote yesterday, The Kremlin has expressed its gratitude to Hungary for what it says is its sovereign position on a number of issues within the EU, details HERE.

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