Julia Achmedova, “New Gazieta”: Do you know how many people Hungary has saved from sanctions in the last 3 years?
Dorka Tokachi: At least 27. The most interesting and most celebrated case is the patriarch Cyril — he is 1 of the highest ranking people Budapest has prevented from placing on the punishment list.
Hungary has late sought to abolish sanctions imposed on Mikhail Fridman, 1 of the leading Russian businessmen. Do you know anything about his ties to Hungary?
I don't know anything about his relation with Orban. There are besides unknown reasons why he sought the abolition of sanctions imposed on another persons, but Vladimir Raszewski.
The authoritative explanation, or at least the 1 that European officials gave any of the media, is that his trial was not very convincing. In this case, not only did lobbying of Budapest work, but besides mediocre arguments for placing it on the punishment list.
What about another people to whom the EU has abolished sanctions?
Most Russians for which Hungary is lobbying are linked to the banking, fertilizer or oil sector. However, it is hard to realize what they have in common with Orban and his surroundings. They are not crucial from the point of view of Hungarian interests, so it is more a favour to Russia.
What arguments does Orban usage to defend these people from Brussels?
His words reflect the rhetoric of the Kremlin. He frequently says that sanctions do not work. For example, nearly a year ago, he started a large run in Hungary, in which sanctions imposed on Russian businessmen compared to bombs that harm Europe much more than Russia. So, according to Orban, they should be abolished immediately.
It besides regularly exaggerates the negative impact of sanctions on the Hungarian economy. He has late repeated another lie, saying that Hungary is the highest price of war among all European countries. This is ridiculous, but it fits perfectly with his rhetoric — he likes to exaggerate all the costs that the Hungarian economy is one more time in the armed conflict.
Another popular argument utilized by Fidesz Orban's organization is that Europeans "need no sanctions, request immediate peace". Opposition to the inclusion of Cyril’s patriarch on Budapest’s sanctioning lists argued that spiritual leaders could not be included in them, for this allegedly undermines all efforts to accomplish peace.
However, you should not forget serious links between the Russian Orthodox Church and Hungary. Orban himself, but besides another politicians close to Fidesz, received various awards from Cyril's patriarch. The business interests of Hungarian government circles are besides involved.
Did Orban change his rhetoric about sanctions after Donald Trump took over the United States?
Yes, it changed dramatically after the president of the United States announced that he would impose sanctions on Russia if she refused to enter into peace talks with Ukraine. abruptly he began to say that while European sanctions prolong the war, the American people service peace. It turns out, therefore, that sanctions on unequal sanctions.
