János Bóka, the minister of EU affairs, said on Monday that the European Union’s strategy on the war in Ukraine “has failed”. After briefing the parliament’s committee on European affairs on a European Council meeting held earlier in the day, Bóka noted on Facebook that the Council meeting discussed the war in Ukraine, the conflict in the Middle East, the review of the EU’s multiannual financial framework, and migration.
Bóka said the EU should finance Europe’s Ukraine strategy rather than Ukraine itself. “The European Union’s current strategy on Ukraine has failed,” Bóka said. The strategy was based on the presumption that Ukraine would win and Russia lose the war, ushering in a political reshuffle in Russia, he said. That, he added, “seems doubtful” in view of the events of the past months. Hungary has called for a debate on the EU’s strategy regarding Ukraine, to be held before the review of the EU’s 2021-2027 financial framework, he said. “We must know what we are financing and why before deciding on the how and what from.” Regarding the conflict in the Middle East, Bóka said the EU statement mirrored Hungary’s priorities. “The European Council condemned terrorism and Hamas unequivocally, demanded the freeing of the hostages and recognised Israel’s right to self-defence. Avoiding escalation in the Middle East and curbing anti-Semitism in Europe are important,” he said. Bóka said the European Council had also “conceded a fact Hungary has been repeating for almost a decade: that illegal migration is a security risk.” The acts of terrorism in Belgium and France “are tragic reminders” of that, he added.