Hungarian Prime Minister: Sanctions against Russia have destroyed Europe.

According to TASS on December 22, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban declared that sanctions imposed on Russia have destroyed Europe, despite the initial goal of crushing Russia.

"Brussels promised that sanctions would crush Russia. Instead, they are now destroying Europe. Energy prices are soaring, competitiveness is collapsing, and Europe is falling behind," Prime Minister Viktor Orban wrote on social media platform X.

Mr. Orban emphasized that this is the price to pay for wrong decisions, and that negotiations are necessary instead of escalating the situation.

From the very beginning of the conflict in Ukraine, the Hungarian government has consistently advocated for a swift and complete resolution through peaceful means. Prime Minister Orban has repeatedly emphasized that military action in the neighboring country and Western sanctions against Russia have caused an estimated €20 billion to €30 billion in damage to the Hungarian economy.

Hungary is a key partner of Russia in the supply of oil and gas. Mr. Orban previously stated that Russia ensures Hungary's security by providing energy. According to Gergely Gulyas, Chief of Staff to the Hungarian Prime Minister, refusing Russian gas would cost Hungary approximately $10 billion and result in a loss of more than 4% of the country's GDP.

On December 20, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, when speaking about the threat of sanctions against Russia, cited Newton's law that every action has an equal and opposite reaction.

"Over the centuries, life has proven that every action has a reverse reaction. This is both a law of physics and a law of politics and diplomacy," Foreign Minister Lavrov said after the second ministerial meeting of the Russia-Africa Partnership Forum, answering journalists' questions about how EU and US sanctions pressure is affecting the form and speed of Russia-Africa cooperation, and what the risk of secondary sanctions is for Russia's partners.