MOSCOW, February 1. /TASS/. European countries are squeezing additional money out of their taxpayers by demonizing Russia and portraying it as an enemy, Presidential Spokesman Dmitry Peskov told journalists.

Earlier, The Wall Street Journal wrote that the leadership of the European Union fears a conflict with Russia if Moscow wins the confrontation with Kiev. In this regard, EU countries are stepping up pressure on Hungary to persuade it not to block financial aid to Ukraine.

"The situation is clear. These are efforts to demonize Russia, to make it out to be an enemy, based on which they are wheedling additional money out of their taxpayers," Peskov said in comments on the publication.