Hungary has been heavily criticized in recent years for its pro-peace stance regarding the war in Ukraine, despite the potential gravity of the situation summed up by PM Orbán as such:
"We are living in very dangerous times. The specter of the third world war could be knocking on our door."
The prime minister further elaborated that the conflict seems to be reaching a devastating deadlock, with frontlines frozen and the death toll creeping higher and higher, despite Western support. Thus, a more balanced approach is necessary in handling the conflict.
Here, PM Orbán recalled that he would welcome the return to the foreign policy of former U.S. President Donald Trump, as he “did not initiate any new war” and treated the North Koreans and Russians, even the Chinese, “nicely” while simultaneously delivering a policy that was the best for the Middle East and maintained the Abraham Accords.
The prime minister continued by saying that despite the criticism of President Trump, “facts count,” and “his foreign policy was the best one for the world in the last several decades I have seen.” PM Orbán also said that if Donald Trump had been at the helm of the U.S. when the Russian invasion started, “it would not have been possible for the Russians to start this war”.
Urging Americans to “call back Trump,” PM Orbán concluded that according to his personal conviction, “Trump is the man who can save the Western world and probably human beings as well.”
Moving on to the current system of conduct regarding the West’s participation in the conflict, PM Orbán noted that “this is a bad strategy,” as the Russians “will never give up” and even “if we send more technical equipment, they will produce more.”
Another factor that the prime minister reiterated is the significance of Ukraine to Hungary given the substantial Hungarian minority within its borders. This highlights the complexity of the conflict and underscores the importance of finding a peaceful resolution that considers the diverse populations affected.
"Hungarian soldiers are dying for Ukraine as Ukrainian citizens, and as such we, the Hungarian nation, also lose lives daily."
According to Prime Minister Orbán, in the end, it is “the number of soldiers on the battlefield” that will matter, and as direct military intervention is not an option without starting a world war, “it’s obvious that the Ukrainians on their own, are not competitive in this war” since “if there is no money and there is no equipment from the West and especially from the United States, the war is over.”
On this, PM Orbán said that “the official position of NATO as an institution, and an alliance” is exactly saying what we said, namely, “no involvement and we should do as much as we can for peace.” But this is directly contradicted at the same time, as NATO member states support and finance the Ukrainians, essentially aligning more with U.S. foreign policy than the policy of NATO.
Therefore, “what's currently happening is not NATO policy but rather that of the United States, and this is a big difference."
Regarding the outcome of the war, Prime Minister Orbán said that although the Ukrainians “must be involved” in a potential peace negotiation process, “the real factor is the intention of the United States”.
For this reason, “the solution is in your hands” concluded the prime minister.
Watch the full interview here: