BUDAPEST, January 11. /TASS/. Brussels’ sanctions policy has led EU countries to a dead end, increasing inflation and causing an energy crisis, Balazs Orban, political advisor to the Prime Minister of Hungary, said, commenting on the outcome of a poll carried out in the EU by the Budapest-based Szazadveg polling center.

According to the poll, almost 80% of EU citizens believe that the current energy price hike was caused by the European Commission’s sanctions policy.

"Even before the war [in Ukraine], Szazadveg polled EU citizens about the growing energy crisis in Europe, and it was clear even back then that most of them blame Brussels for the deteriorating situation," Orban said on his Facebook [banned in Russia] page. Since the beginning of the war and introduction of energy sanctions, the situation has become even worse: the combined effect of the war and the sanctions policy has exacerbated the energy crisis that mostly harms households in the Old continent."

The Hungarian official noted that "now, it is clear to most Europeans that Brussels’ sanctions policy has led us to a dead end, without bringing us closer to negotiations [on Ukraine], but causing a serious energy and inflation crisis."

"Therefore, the most important thing is to continue seeking peace, because only peace can put an end to wartime inflation and the threat of a military economic crisis," Orban concluded.

Publishing the poll results Wednesday, Szazadveg noted that "the Europeans’ discontent with Brussels’ sanctions policy and the price hike it caused has increased." According to the polls, which took place in all 27 EU countries both in the beginning and end of 2022, by October-December, the share of people who blamed the European Commission for the difficult energy situation had increased from 75% to 79%.