The European Union needs a new strategy regarding the situation around Ukraine, since sanctions against the Russian Federation have not brought the desired effect. Such a statement, according to Reuters, was made by Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban.
In his speech, he said that the Western strategy towards Ukraine is built on four pillars: Ukraine can win the war with Russia with the help of Western weapons, sanctions will weaken Russia and destabilize its leadership, sanctions will hurt Russia more than Europe, and that the world will line up in support of Europe.
But that strategy has failed, he says, as governments in Europe fall "like dominoes" and energy prices soar.
“The strategy of the West is like a car with flat tires on all four wheels… The sanctions have not shaken Moscow. Europe is in trouble – economic and political, four governments have become victims: British, Bulgarian, Italian and Estonian … People will face a sharp increase in prices … And most of the world also defiantly did not support us – China, India, Brazil, South Africa , the Arab world, Africa – everyone is away from this conflict, they are minding their own business, ”said Orban.
In his opinion, a new strategy is now needed – focused on peace negotiations. He added that Ukraine will never win the war "simply because the Russian army has an asymmetric superiority."
"Because Russia wants security guarantees, this war can only be ended by peace talks between Russia and America," the Hungarian prime minister said.
The European Union last Thursday introduced another package of restrictive measures against Russia because of the war in Ukraine, which provides for a ban "on the direct and indirect import, purchase or transfer of gold, which is the most significant item of Russian export after energy resources." The EU also included 57 more individuals and structures in the sanctions lists for Russia.
The Hungarian premier is regularly accused of abuse of power, corruption, undermining democracy and close ties to the Kremlin that have not been broken since the outbreak of the war in Ukraine.
The European Union criticizes Hungary for not being tough enough on Russian aggression: having admitted hundreds of thousands of Ukrainian refugees, the country refuses military assistance to Kyiv and periodically blocks anti-Russian sanctions.