BUDAPEST, February 15. /TASS/. The EU leadership is making a mistake by supporting ongoing military operations in Ukraine because Russia has shown its readiness for a serious compromise, Endre Simo, head of the Hungarian Community for Peace non-governmental organization, said.
"I consider it wrong that the current EU leadership continues the war instead of coming to terms with Russia," the Hungarian political scientist told TASS, commenting on the Ukrainian conflict. He pointed out that, in his recent interview with US journalist Tucker Carlson, Russian President Vladimir Putin had shown that Russia was ready for a serious compromise on Ukraine.
Simo believes that the leading countries of the European Union - Germany and France - as well as the EU leadership, are under the false illusion that they can defeat Russia. The EU describes Ukraine’s victory over Russia as being in its "strategic interest," subordinating the other purposes of the community to the exclusive purpose of war. "Our people are paying the price for the war. Sanctions are affecting the living standards of our people. And what is most serious, the current leadership of the EU is sacrificing the Ukrainian people on the altar of its selfish interests," Simo noted.
When asked what message he would send to Western leaders, the expert said that Hungary and the Hungarian people would like to live in peace and maintain good relations with both the East and the West. Simo believes that any responsible politician must think about the interests of his or her own country and the majority of its citizens rather than be guided by the selfish interests of a narrow elite.
In his interview with Carlson, Putin said that Russia had never rejected dialogue on Ukraine, but clarified that, after the talks in Istanbul in March 2022 were disrupted by outside actors, Moscow would not take the first step.