The European Union should review the sanctions against Russia because they keep energy prices high and hinder the bloc's economic competitiveness. This was stated by Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán in an interview with Hungarian Public Radio, quoted by Reuters and Focus.
Orbán stressed that energy prices must be reduced at all costs. “This means that the sanctions must be revised, because under the current sanctions policy, energy prices will not fall lower,” he said.
The Prime Minister noted that American companies pay significantly less for gas and electricity – just a quarter of the cost of their European competitors. This difference creates a serious disadvantage for the European economy, which, according to him, cannot be compensated by other means.
Since the beginning of the conflict in Ukraine in 2022, Orbán has frequently criticized the EU's sanctions policy against Moscow, as well as the financial and military support provided to Ukraine by the bloc.
Despite the efforts of Western European countries to abandon Russian energy supplies, Hungary remains highly dependent on them – 80-85% of the gas and 80% of the crude oil that the country uses come from Russia.