Péter Szijjártó, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, said the EU is preparing the 14th sanctions package against Russia, and he expected pressure on Hungary to be ramped up, too.
At the same time, the foreign minister said previous sanctions had caused more damage to Europe than to Russia, and that European citizens had been the ones to pay the price, including Hungarians who had nothing to do with the war. “Once again, I made it clear that no matter the pressure brought to bear, we will not support a single sanction that would have Hungarians pay the price of war.” He said the root of the fundamental difference of opinion was that politicians “in Brussels and many other capital cities” thought of the war as their own. “I think that is not only dangerous but also false, as Europe is not at war. Europe has not been attacked. No EU or NATO member state has been attacked,” he said. Hungary continues to see the situation differently and prioritises staying out of the conflict, he added. Besides, he said, the EU had been gripped by a “bidding war” as the bloc was trying to outbid the US and NATO. Regarding the situation in the Middle East, he said a consensus was on the horizon on sanctions against Iran in response to the recent attack on Israel. He welcomed the “responsible” conduct of Arab states and called for the maintenance of regional stability and the avoidance of conflict escalation. Responding to a question about a Hungarian-Israeli national in Hamas captivity, Szijjarto said that the hostage was — according to reports received “a few weeks ago” — still alive.