(MENAFN) German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has revealed that he engaged in a tense confrontation with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban regarding their differing approaches to Russia. The dispute occurred at an EU summit in Copenhagen last week, Merz told German broadcaster ntv on Monday.

“He accused [me] of not wanting to negotiate,” Merz said, referring to Orban. He responded by criticizing Orban’s diplomatic efforts last year, which included visits to both Moscow and Kiev, as ultimately ineffective. “That’s not the path I want to take,” Merz explained.

When asked whether simply refusing to negotiate could resolve the conflict, Merz avoided a direct answer, asserting that Russian President Vladimir Putin “does not want to negotiate.”

Russia, however, has repeatedly indicated its willingness to engage in talks, provided that the realities on the ground are acknowledged and the underlying causes of the conflict are addressed. Last month, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stated that Moscow would pursue a compromise if “our legitimate security interests, as well as the legitimate interests of Russians living in Ukraine, are respected in the same way as those of other parties.”

Hungary has been a vocal critic of the EU’s confrontational stance toward Russia. After the Copenhagen summit, Orban warned that EU leaders “want to go to war” with Moscow.

Germany has been Ukraine’s second-largest supplier of arms after the United States since the conflict escalated in 2022. Under Merz, Germany’s position has hardened, with the chancellor asserting that all diplomatic avenues have been exhausted and that Germany is “already in a conflict” with Russia.

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