Survey: Hungarians Favor Peace Talks Instead of Sanctions

The latest research by the Hungarian conservative think-tank Századvég has surveyed what Hungarians think about the leading politicians involved in the Russian-Ukrainian war, and the sanctions policy in Brussels.

The think-tank also published an analysis on this topic in early September, highlighting that in recent months the war and sanctions policies have led to an explosion in energy prices, energy shortages, and war inflation across Europe.

According to Századvég’s research,

86% of Hungarians agree that Russia and Ukraine should be forced to engage in peace talks to bring the war to an end as soon as possible.

The think-tank believes that with leading politicians involved in the Russia-Ukraine crisis still seemingly uninterested in peace talks, it is not surprising that their perception among the Hungarian public is negative. The share of those who have an unfavorable opinion of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is at 68 percent, the same as in June, while the share of those who have a negative opinion of Russian President Vladimir Putin has fallen from 72 percent in June to 69 percent.

Brussels has adopted seven sanction packages since the start of the war, and in August the Estonian government submitted a formal proposal to the European Commission for an eighth package. The new sanctions would include a full energy embargo, among other things.

However, according to the Századvég survey, half of Hungarians believe that the sanctions against Russia are already excessive.

In May, this proportion was lower, with only 31% of respondents saying that the sanctions were excessive. At the same time, the current survey shows that 25 percent of respondents said the measures already in place were sufficient.

Overall, 72 percent of Hungarians surveyed consider the sanctions imposed thus far by the European Union and the United States on Russia to be rather harmful for Hungary and all of Europe.

Featured photo: Facebook/Színes Város