Shortly before the start of the Hungarian EU Council Presidency, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban spoke out in favor of negotiations in the Ukraine war.
He is particularly hoping for the possible new US President Donald Trump, in whom he is “101 percent” convinced, Orban told the newspapers of the Funke media group on Sunday. “The US President is the only person in the universe who could make the two decisive calls to Kyiv and Moscow,” Orban added.
It is clear that Russia’s attack on Ukraine is “completely unacceptable” and has violated the principles of international relations. “But I am not concerned with the interests of Ukraine or Russia, I want above all for the war to end and for there to be a ceasefire,” said the Hungarian head of government. “In the end, it is about a new European security architecture in which we can live peacefully.”
He left open whether Ukraine should give up occupied territories as Russia has demanded. “We don’t know exactly what the Russian reaction would be if the US leadership said: Listen, we’ll stop the killing tomorrow morning and negotiate,” Orban said.
He was also certain that “we would not have a war now if Angela Merkel were still chancellor.” “She would have done what she did after the Russian occupation of Crimea: isolate the conflict, not internationalize it.” Former US President Donald Trump described Orban as a “man of peace.” “He has not started a single war,” said the Hungarian. Europe needs politicians like Trump, “people who shake up the system,” Orban added.
The Hungarian Prime Minister, who has been in office since 2010, chose the motto “Make Europe great again” for his country’s EU Council Presidency, based on Trump’s election campaign slogan. During the Council Presidency, Hungary will not only work to end the war in Ukraine, but also to increase European competitiveness, solve the migration problem and promote EU expansion towards the Western Balkans, Orban said.
On July 1, Hungary will take over the rotating presidency of the EU Council for six months. Orban is considered the closest ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin within the EU. Most recently, Hungary blocked billions of euros in military aid for Ukraine at the EU level.
