Russia Sanctions: EU Should Compensate Europeans for Hike in Energy Prices, Italy's Lega Leader Says

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The European Union should compensate European citizens for the expenses they have to shoulder due to the secondary effects of sanctions against Russia, Matteo Salvini, the leader of Italian conservative party Lega Nord, said on Sunday.

"We request that Europe, just as it did with COVID, put up a shield to cover the extra bills that households are footing, otherwise we risk [losing] a million jobs in September," Salvini told the RTL broadcaster.

The party leader stressed that he supports the continuing sanctions pressure on Moscow, but questions its effectiveness.

"Several months have passed, and the gas bills have tripled," Salvini said, noting that "Russian coffers are filling up" despite the ongoing conflict.

In late August, Salvini said that Western sanctions imposed against Russia over its special military operation in Ukraine are ineffective and are instead helping the Russian economy. He reiterated this position at the Ambrosetti economic forum in Italian commune of Cernobbio.