Months Of Sanctions Against Russia Can't Stop War, Hungarian PM: EU Must Change Strategy

Condition of a building in Kharkiv City (Photo via Twitter @oleksiireznikov)

JAKARTA - Russia has been hit by sanctions from various sides as a form of punishment for those who continue to attack Ukraine. The hope is clear that Russia will stop waging war. But it all failed.

Prime Minister of Hungary, Viktor Orbán bluntly asked the European Union to make a new strategy in the war in Ukraine. Sanctions against Moscow proved unsuccessful.

"A new strategy is needed that should focus on peace talks and drafting good peace proposals…rather than winning the war," Orbán said in a speech in Romania as quoted by Al Jazeera, Thursday, July 28.

Orbán, reiterated that Hungary – a NATO member – would avoid war in neighboring Ukraine.

Orbán said earlier that Hungary did not want to support the EU embargo or restrictions on Russian gas imports. The embargo could even damage the Hungarian economy, which is around 85 percent dependent on Russian gas imports.

He said in his speech that a Western strategy in Ukraine could win the war against Russia with NATO weapons, sanctions would weaken Russia and destabilize its leadership, sanctions would cost Russia more than Europe, and the world would march in favor of Europe.

All of those concepts, Orbán said, had failed. Governments in Europe are collapsing “like dominoes”, energy prices are soaring and a new strategy is needed now.

“We were sitting in a car with all four tires blowing out: it was very clear that the war could not be won this way,” Orbán told supporters.