UNITED NATIONS, September 24. /TASS/. Large-scale restrictive measures imposed by the European Union against Russia because of the situation around Ukraine cause great harm to Europe and Europeans, Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs Peter Szijjarto said in an interview with TASS on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly.
"If you look at the sanction policy of the European Union, not in an ideological not in a political but in a professional manner, then it's obvious that it is extremely painful to Europe, extremely painful. Inflation is skyrocketing, energy prices are in the skies, price for commodities food is increasing like hell. So this sanction policy is definitely extremely harmful to Europe and European people," he said.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said in a televised address on February 24 that in response to a request by the heads of the Donbass republics he had made a decision to carry out a special military operation in order to protect people "who have been suffering from abuse and genocide by the Kiev regime for eight years.".