Gulyas: Author of sanctions ‘Russia’s best friend’

Concerning criticism by the European press and politicians in Brussels over the Hungarian government’s attitude towards the Russia-Ukraine conflict, Gergely Gulyas said “Hungary is not Russian President Vladimir Putin’s Trojan horse” in an interview published on Thursday.

“Such accusations are the worst propaganda,” Gulyas said, and stressed Hungary condemned Russia’s aggression against Ukraine just as all other EU member states. Hungary has launched an aid programme to support 1.2 million Ukrainian refugees, it supports Ukraine financially and has also backed the EU’s sanctions against Russia, he added.

He also said, however, that “Russia has earned (on energy) this year twice as much as last year”, adding that “through its sanctions, the West contributes to financing Russia’s aggression”. He called for a “European debate” to be held as soon as possible to determine the EU’s policy concerning the war in Ukraine. “What the community needs is intelligent sanctions that would hurt Russia rather than Europe,” Gulyas said.