“Convey a sound position”: how Hungary opposes the anti-Russian course of the EU

Budapest hopes that Brussels will hear about the results of national consultations in the country, almost all of whose participants spoke in favor of lifting EU anti-Russian sanctions.

This statement was made by the official representative of the Hungarian Cabinet Alexandra Szentkirayi, commenting on the results of the survey, 97% of respondents who rejected the EU sanctions.  

“The results of the consultations are a guide to action for Hungarian public figures, and we will work to ensure that they are heard in Brussels,” TASS quotes Sentkiraja from her video message.  

According to the politician, the Hungarian government was the first in the EU "to ask its citizens about sanctions."

The representative of the Cabinet of Ministers also noted that the majority of Hungarians opposed restrictions on oil imports, as well as restrictions on nuclear energy.

“The results (consultations.

) also indicate a clear “no” to sanctions that will lead to a further increase in food prices or create additional difficulties for European tourism,” Sentkirayi specified.

She recalled that the anti-Russian restrictions did not contribute to the settlement of the conflict in Ukraine, but only had a negative impact on the European economy.  

“It is necessary to reconsider the sanctions policy of Brussels.

What is needed is not erroneous sanctions, but speedy peace negotiations (in Ukraine.

).

The Hungarian government will work towards this,” a government spokeswoman said.

She also thanked more than 1 million 360 thousand citizens who took part in the consultations.

It is worth noting that the Hungarian authorities consider this number of respondents to be significant, given that the country's population does not exceed 10 million people.

As Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban emphasized on his Facebook page*, the results of the national consultations, which took place over two months, confirm that the people of the country strongly reject EU sanctions against the Russian Federation.

• Viktor Orban

• Legion Media

Earlier, Hungarian President Katalin Nowak said that NATO countries should not be "drawn into the conflict" in Ukraine, and Europe should think about its survival.

From her point of view, Europeans need to "be pragmatic" in these matters.

Hungarian warnings

Recall that at the end of December, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, speaking at a press conference in Budapest following the results of 2022, expressed the hope that Europe would “not be head over heels” in the conflict in Ukraine, and Hungary would not interfere in it.

Orban also stressed that those who provide training for the military and supply weapons "have plunged headlong into hostilities."

Later, Budapest called on the European Union to review anti-Russian sanctions.

Balazs Orban, adviser to the Hungarian Prime Minister, stated this in an interview with Index, emphasizing that by maintaining these restrictions, the EU countries are “just shooting themselves in the foot.”

According to him, the Hungarian authorities are in favor of discussing "which sanctions make sense and which do not."

After that, the head of the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry Dmitry Kuleba said that Hungary "takes Ukraine hostage" and causes "real harm", "pulling some individuals, businesses from the sanctions lists."

He announced this in an interview with RBC-Ukraine, adding that in the actions of the Hungarian Prime Minister Orban there is an "ideological coincidence in understanding the laws of history" with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

This week, adviser to the Hungarian Prime Minister Balazs Orban noted that Brussels' sanctions policy against Russia led the European Union to a dead end, causing a "serious energy and inflationary crisis", but not bringing it closer to peace talks over Ukraine.

"To ring all the bells"

According to experts, the Hungarian government is pursuing a rather balanced policy towards Russia and, not without reason, criticizes the decisions of Brussels.

“In addition, regular criticism of European bureaucrats is heard from Budapest for their blind following of American instructions.

This also applies to the sanctions course against Russia, as a result of which the European economy is self-destructing.

In this context, Orban's statement about the culture shock for Hungarians due to the fact that the Germans are no longer a nation that accurately calculates its actions is noteworthy.

It was, in particular, about anti-Russian sanctions, with which the EU failed and miscalculated, ”said Alexander Kamkin, senior researcher at IMEMO RAS, in an interview with RT.

According to him, Hungary, unlike Germany, is more independent.

“This can also be seen from the results of the Hungarian national consultations.

The situation is influenced by the fact that the Hungarian media are not under total Anglo-American control, as, for example, is happening in Germany, ”Kamkin explained.

• Hungarian parliament building

• Gettyimages.ru

• © Robert Michael/picture alliance

He also believes that the Hungarian authorities are now "trying to convey a sound position" regarding the EU sanctions policy and the situation in Ukraine to other European countries.

“The indicators of inflation, rising prices and declining economic growth in European countries are more than eloquent about the rebound effect of anti-Russian sanctions on the EU.

In fact, Europe has become a victim of economic sabotage, which the United States recommended it to implement.

It is difficult to say how much Budapest will be able to resist the Western dictates almost alone, but, of course, Hungary has a well-thought-out position to protect its own sovereignty,” Kamkin said.

Experts agree that due to Hungary's position on anti-Russian sanctions and the Ukrainian issue, various instruments of pressure can be used against the republic.

“The EU may try to impose sanctions measures against Hungary, for example, the abolition of financial security transfers, which has already been warned in Brussels.

Accordingly, they will try to make Budapest a pariah in the EU.

But at the same time, all this can push the country's authorities to radically reconsider their relationship with the European leadership, ”said Nikolai Mezhevich, chief researcher at the Institute of Europe of the Russian Academy of Sciences, in a commentary to RT.

He also believes that, despite Budapest's attempts to "reason" the collective West, there is no reason to believe that Brussels' military-political and financial support for Kyiv will soon cease.

“Hungary is fighting for its interests, for peace, but one should not exaggerate the possibilities of Budapest within the EU.

Yes, the statements of the Hungarian side will be recorded somewhere by Brussels, but the general position of the European Union will not be changed.

Of course, some fatigue from the Ukrainian case is observed not only in Hungary, but also in other EU countries.

But the position of the European Union is unlikely to change in the near future.

But the gradual resistance of the European public will grow.

And the extremely alarming calls in Hungary are just the beginning of such processes,” concluded Mezhevich.

* Meta product, activity recognized as extremist, prohibited in Russia by decision of the Tverskoy Court of Moscow dated 03/21/2022.