Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said on Monday that Germany was the main countervailing force against new sanctions on Russia while defending his Hungarian counterpart, Viktor Orban, against accusations of being uncooperative on the issue.

Several European officials have accused Orban, whose right-wing Fidesz party appears to have won parliamentary elections on Sunday, of opposing fresh sanctions against Russia.

"The situation in Europe is very simple. Everything is visible at the summits. Germany is the main brake on the very decisive sanctions," Morawiecki said at a press conference.

The Polish Prime Minister said it was not Orban who is stymieing the sanctions but "the largest and richest Western European countries."

Warsaw accuses Berlin

Yesterday, Poland's deputy Prime Minister accused France and Germany of being too close to Russia, while condemning Berlin's approach toward Moscow before the special operation in Ukraine.

"Over the years, the German government did not want to see what Russia was doing under the leadership of Putin and we see the result today," Kaczynski said.

"Poland is not pleased with Germany's role in Europe," he added.

He chastised Berlin for attempting to reconstruct what former 19th-century chancellor Otto von Bismarck "had done... German domination but side by side with Russia".

EU sanctions on Russia not working: Polish PM

Earlier, Polish Prime Minister Mateusz said on Saturday that EU sanctions against Russia were not working, according to the Polish Chancellery, as he continued to press Brussels to take a tough stance against Moscow.

Morawiecki stated that "the sanctions we have imposed on Russia so far are not working. The proof is the ruble exchange rate, which is returning to the level it was at before the Russian aggression against Ukraine."

"This means that our actions did not work as expected by the leaders," Morawiecki added during a visit to the Polish town of Otwock in the East of the country, which houses Ukrainian refugees.