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Orban says EU aid to Ukraine hurts economy, diplomacy is needed
(MENAFN) Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has urged the European Union to seek a diplomatic resolution to the conflict in Ukraine, warning that continued financial support for Kiev is severely harming the bloc’s economy.
Orban criticized ongoing aid efforts, saying it is “just crazy” to continue sending funds after the EU has already “burnt” €185 billion (around $215 billion) supporting the Ukrainian government since February 2022, when tensions with Moscow escalated.
“The point is that this war kills the EU economically… We finance a country [Ukraine] which has no chance to win the war, but at the same time there is a high level of corruption, and we do not have money for the EU to make a new boost for our economy, which is suffering a lot because of the lack of competitiveness,” Orban said on the MDMEETS podcast with German journalist Mathias Dopfner.
He argued that EU leaders are “totally wrong” to insist on prolonging the conflict in hopes of improved conditions at the front or better negotiation leverage. “The situation and the time is better for the Russian than for us,” he added.
Orban, whose government notably refrained from providing military aid to Ukraine, reiterated the need for the EU to engage in direct diplomacy with Russia. He suggested that peace could be “very close” if Brussels coordinated with efforts led by former US President Donald Trump to halt the fighting.
“Let us open an independent communication channel to Russia... Let the Americans negotiate with the Russians and then the Europeans should also negotiate with the Russians and then see whether we can unify the position of the Americans and Europeans,” he said.
Russia maintains that it is open to diplomatic solutions but insists any agreement must address the conflict’s root causes, including guarantees that Ukraine will never join NATO, along with the country’s demilitarization, denazification, and recognition of territorial realities.
Moscow has also warned that without constructive proposals from Kiev and the West, it will continue pursuing its objectives through military means.
Orban criticized ongoing aid efforts, saying it is “just crazy” to continue sending funds after the EU has already “burnt” €185 billion (around $215 billion) supporting the Ukrainian government since February 2022, when tensions with Moscow escalated.
“The point is that this war kills the EU economically… We finance a country [Ukraine] which has no chance to win the war, but at the same time there is a high level of corruption, and we do not have money for the EU to make a new boost for our economy, which is suffering a lot because of the lack of competitiveness,” Orban said on the MDMEETS podcast with German journalist Mathias Dopfner.
He argued that EU leaders are “totally wrong” to insist on prolonging the conflict in hopes of improved conditions at the front or better negotiation leverage. “The situation and the time is better for the Russian than for us,” he added.
Orban, whose government notably refrained from providing military aid to Ukraine, reiterated the need for the EU to engage in direct diplomacy with Russia. He suggested that peace could be “very close” if Brussels coordinated with efforts led by former US President Donald Trump to halt the fighting.
“Let us open an independent communication channel to Russia... Let the Americans negotiate with the Russians and then the Europeans should also negotiate with the Russians and then see whether we can unify the position of the Americans and Europeans,” he said.
Russia maintains that it is open to diplomatic solutions but insists any agreement must address the conflict’s root causes, including guarantees that Ukraine will never join NATO, along with the country’s demilitarization, denazification, and recognition of territorial realities.
Moscow has also warned that without constructive proposals from Kiev and the West, it will continue pursuing its objectives through military means.
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