Orban says sanctions against Russia could ‘bring Europe to its knees’

Western countries have imposed more than 11,000 sanctions against Russia, but they turned out to be ineffective, and the consequences of them threaten the European economy. This was stated by the Prime Minister of Hungary Viktor Orban, transmits Hungarian agency MTI.

“Currently, there are 11,000 sanctions against Russia, but military operations continue, attempts to weaken the Russians have not been successful. On the contrary, inflation and energy shortages caused by sanctions could bring Europe to its knees,” the prime minister said.

Also today, the head of the Office of the Prime Minister of Hungary, Gergely Guiyash informedthat in Hungary they introduced a limit on heating in public institutions not higher than 18 degrees. This decision was made against the backdrop of rising gas prices in Europe. Reducing heating levels in buildings is one of the steps taken to voluntarily reduce gas consumption in EU countries as part of the European Commission’s plan to overcome the energy crisis.

After the start of the special operation in Ukraine, Western states imposed large-scale sanctions against the country. Restrictions also affected energy. Due to the reduction in gas supplies, European countries faced a shortage of energy carriers, as a result of which gas prices in Europe began to skyrocket.

Earlier, the head of EU diplomacy, Josep Borrell, acknowledged the fatigue of EU citizens from sanctions against Russia. He also noted that the Europeans are “very concerned about the upcoming winter and the consequences of the energy crisis.” However, according to Borrell, it is not the EU sanctions that are to blame for the crisis threatening Europe, but the actions of Russia, which “turns energy into a weapon.”

In this regard, the EU countries began to look for an alternative to Russian gas and resort to various ways to save energy. So, it was decided to reduce their consumption by 7-15%. In addition, Germany called on households and companies to reduce gas consumption by 20%.

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