“Reality knocks on the door of every country,” said the Hungarian State Secretary for Foreign Affairs during a TV interview on Tuesday, while describing how EU sanctions on Russia have backfired on member states while increasing Moscow's revenues, predicting the ease of sanctions on Moscow in the upcoming EU sanctions' policy review in autumn. 

Minister Tamas Menczer also said that Hungary opposed a price cap on Russian gas, calling it ridiculous, stating that EU sanctions triggered a spike in energy prices that increased Moscow's revenues while Europe faced energy shortages.

Hungary sees EU sanctions on Russia as self-defeating

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Budapest has repeatedly criticized the EU's sanctions on Russia. In late July, Viktor Orban, Hungary's PM, said that sanctions have not shaken Moscow's resolve, despite the fact that Europe has already lost four governments due to economic and political crises.

He implied that the sanctions are self-defeating and will only hurt Europe, urging the Union to ditch the sanctions policy and resort to diplomacy.

"Right now what we experience is that the more sanctions we accept, the worse shape we are in," Orban said

However, Hungary's stance on Russia may get it in trouble in the EU. According to Czech European affairs minister, Mikulas Bek, Hungary's stance on Russia and the conflict in Ukraine could potentially see it exiting the European Union

“Negotiations are often tough in the EU, and many countries could engage in them. But Hungary, in my opinion, has come a long way, reaching the edge of an abyss, and now it has to decide whether to go back from that edge or risk a jump, the consequences of which I don’t even want to speculate on,” the minister said.

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