PM Orbán said the conflict now unfolding in Brussels is unprecedented in scale. At its center lies roughly €230 billion in frozen Russian assets, which several EU leaders want to confiscate and transfer to Ukraine. The prime minister described this as an extremely dangerous step, arguing that it would amount to a hostile act with inevitable consequences. Such a move, he warned, would provoke Russian retaliation, drag the EU into a deep economic crisis, and move Europe further along the path toward direct military confrontation.
He stressed that the issue is not only political but legal. Under EU law, decisions of this magnitude were meant to require unanimous approval. However, PM Orbán explained that Brussels has already rewritten the rules to bypass dissent, replacing unanimity with qualified majority voting. As a result, Hungary’s ability to protect its interests has been sharply reduced. Once the decisions are formally adopted, Hungary will turn to the European Court of Justice, even though the prime minister made clear that he harbors few illusions about the outcome.
PM Orbán also rejected the idea of Western unity on the matter. The United States, he noted, openly opposes confiscation and instead sees the frozen assets as part of future peace negotiations with Russia. Brussels, by contrast, insists on claiming the money outright. This divergence has created a clear transatlantic split: The American side is seeking de-escalation, while the European Commission is pushing confrontation.
Hungary, PM Orbán said, aligns with the American approach because it serves the goal of peace.
According to the prime minister, the determination of Brussels has less to do with strategy than with money. European governments have already spent more than €100 billion on the war after assuring voters it would not cost them anything. If the plan to finance the conflict from Russian assets collapses, European taxpayers will be forced to foot the bill. That realization, PM Orbán warned, could lead to political shockwaves and the rapid fall of several Western European governments. This is why, he said, EU leaders are now “running after the money.”
Placing the dispute in a broader context, PM Orbán said Europe is living through a historic split within the West. Since the inauguration of the new U.S. president, Washington has clearly declared that the era of globalism is over and the age of nations has begun. Western Europe, however, continues to cling to a globalist, federalist model. Hungary, he added, has been preparing for this shift since 2010 and believes that the future belongs to strong, self-governing nations.
PM Orbán also emphasized that Hungary’s stance in Brussels rests on firm democratic backing at home. More than 1.6 million people returned national consultation questionnaires, giving the government a clear mandate. Without this support, he said, Hungary’s position would have been overridden long ago, just as it has been defended in earlier debates on migration, child protection, and Ukraine’s EU accession.
In closing, PM Orbán said Europe once again stands at a crossroads. The best outcome would be for EU leaders to support American peace efforts and subordinate all related decisions, including the issue of Russian assets, to ending the war. Whether such a shift is possible remains uncertain. “We still have three days,” the prime minister concluded.