The PM underlined that reaching peace should be the key issue in the Russian-Ukrainian war, whereas European leaders are arguing according to the logic of war. "Everything in Brussels should revolve around achieving a ceasefire as soon as possible, followed by peace talks," he said, adding that two years have passed since the war began, and all previous hopes have been dashed.
“Peace will come when there is change in Brussels,” he said.
PM Orbán stressed that the €50 billion approved for Ukraine on Thursday would not be used for weapons but for the functioning of the Ukrainian state. He also noted that they succeeded in preventing Brussels from taking Hungary's money and sending it to Ukraine.
Speaking about the Hungarian left, he said they are pro-war in exchange for foreign aid and always want to agree with Brussels on how Hungary should participate in the war. On the other hand, the prime minister stated that he continuously seeks “to reach an agreement with Brussels on how this should not happen."
At the same time, the prime minister said, Hungary has carried out the largest humanitarian operation for Ukrainians, with tens of thousands of them being given asylum in Hungary. There are Ukrainian children in more than a thousand schools and kindergartens. Meanwhile, the Hungarians in Transcarpathia are living in a state of disenfranchisement, he pointed out, which was not the case until 2015. PM Orbán expressed hope that these relations may now be normalized.
The prime minister also said that apart from the war, there is also a dispute with Brussels on migration, gender ideology, and public utility price cuts.
Speaking about the demonstration of Belgian farmers, which he witnessed firsthand, PM Orbán noted that they have the same problems as Hungarian farmers. The cost of production is getting more and more expensive because of Brussels regulations, while cheap imports are being allowed in, he explained, adding that the rules need to be changed so that Ukrainian products are not allowed on the EU market.
“I was asked to block. In other words, the Poles, the Slovaks and the Hungarians should stop the Ukrainian shipments at the borders of Europe and not let them in.”
PM Orbán said Brussels often represents something other than the interests of Europeans. A change of course is only possible with the European Parliament elections in June, he concluded.