Hungarian Foreign Affairs and External Economic Relations Minister Peter Szijjarto has said that Budapest opposes new EU sanctions against Russia and will not allow any additional restrictions on cooperation with Moscow in the energy and nuclear industries.
“We believe that the sanctions policy has failed, so we see no point in adopting new sanctions packages,” Péter Szijjarto said after speaking by phone with his Estonian counterpart Margus Csahkna.
He specified that at ambassadorial-level talks in Brussels last weekend, Hungary made it clear that it “will not allow any punitive measures that would affect the energy sector and nuclear power or threaten the EU’s external relations”.
“There are discussions in Brussels on this topic and I have given our ambassador a clear instruction on this issue,” the foreign minister said in a video message on his Facebook page.
The minister recalled that the EU is now discussing the 13th package of sanctions against Russia and wants to adopt it by the second anniversary of the start of Russia’s special military operation in Ukraine.
“I think it is completely unnecessary to make this part of the functioning of the European Union not serious with a demonstration package of sanctions. We believe that it is time for the European Union to focus on strengthening peace and creating opportunities for peace instead of the policy of sanctions”, – added Szijjarto.
Recall, earlier the French newspaper Le Figaro noted that despite the sanctions pressure of Western countries, Russia has increased the growth of its defence budget, which will allow it to continue its special military operation.