VIENNA, July 14. /TASS/. Europe’s sanctions against Russia don’t make sense because they are harming the European Union without affecting the situation in Ukraine, Hungarian government spokesman Zoltan Kovacs told Austria’s Kurier newspaper.
"The sanctions don’t make sense since they hurt us, the ones who impose them, more than those at whom they are targeted. This is what is happening this time. The sanctions aren’t influencing the war. We aren’t winning anything, we are only losing. The sanctions are already hitting us as energy prices are rising. Energy security should now become our priority," Kovacs pointed out.
He believes that Russia will remain a potential energy supplier. Kovacs added, however, that there were no "close political ties" between Budapest and Moscow. "Our ties are no closer than those between Germany and Russia. Dependence on Russian oil and gas has historical roots rather than political ones. Russia simply was the cheapest and most attractive energy supplier on the market," the Hungarian cabinet spokesman added.
When speaking about granting EU candidate status to Ukraine, Kovacs stated that Hungary was among the first countries that had backed the move. "It is in our interests to have a stable buffer between us and Russia," he said. Kovacs noted that in order to enter the EU, Ukraine, like all other countries, needed to meet a number of criteria, particularly ensuring the rights of its Hungarian minority.