Budapest, Aug 15, (RHC), – Hungary has cast doubt on the effectiveness of the sanctions the United States and the European Union have imposed on Russia over the crisis in Ukraine, saying the restrictions are harming the Europeans rather than the Russians.

“The sanctions policy pursued by the West, that is, ourselves, a necessary consequence of which has been what the Russians are doing, causes more harm to us than to Russia,” Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said on Friday.

He called on the 28-nation European Union to “rethink the whole policy” of sanctions, saying, “In politics, this is called shooting oneself in the foot.”

Hungary heavily depends on Russia for energy imports. Earlier this year, Budapest signed a USD 13-billion deal with Russia’s power firm Rosatom to develop Hungary’s only nuclear plant.

Orban said he will make his utmost to convince the European bloc to reconsider its sanctions on Russia.

The Hungarian premier’s remarks come a day after Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico said the “meaningless” sanctions are threatening the economic growth of the European Union.

Russia has enforced the economic tit-for-tat restrictions following a recent decision by the European Union and the United States to tighten sanctions on Moscow over its alleged role in backing pro-Russia forces fighting the Ukrainian government.

According to official EU figures, Russia’s sanctions on food imports from the European Union could drag the continent back into crisis and cost its economy USD 16 billion (12 billion euros) in losses.