Hungary stated that it would not support further sanctions of the European Union against Russia until an agreement with US President Donald Trump has been reached on the content and importance of a new package of sanctions.
This was announced by Hungary Minister Janos Boka in an interview with Welt Am Sonntag newspaper. According to him, EU countries must act with great care, taking new sanctions against Russia, and must first reconcile the position with the Trump administration. "Without such an agreement, the Hungarian government sees no grounds for further sanctioning decisions," said Boka, who is a close associate of Prime Minister of Hungary Viktor Orban. The minister noted that Hungary has serious doubts about the efficiency and expediency of sanctions against Russia, which, in his opinion, did not lead to the desired result. According to him, sanctions do not give the effect that many European countries have calculated. If such restrictions are stored for a long time, it can adversely affect the economy and competitiveness of Europe. One example is the rising energy prices that result from sanctions policy. Against the background of these statements, the EU continues to discuss the possibility of imposing new sanctions against Russia. However, for many countries, in particular for Hungary, the issue of sanctions is becoming more contradictory, given the economic and political consequences. An important point for Hungary is to reach consensus from the United States, which can affect the EU's further strategy against Russia.
This situation shows how closely the political decisions of Europe with the United States policy are. Hungary, like many other European countries, seeks to avoid economic losses from sanctions and seeks ways to compromise with the new US administration.
