BUDAPEST, February 17. /TASS/. Hungary will not let anyone drag it into the military conflict in Ukraine, Prime Minister Viktor Orban said in his annual speech on the country's policy priorities.
"We intend to stay out of the war [in Ukraine] and sanction policy and to oppose economic blockades, which are tantamount to another Cold War," Orban said in a preview of his government's near-term steps.
"Brussels' strategy towards Ukraine has been utter failure," said Orban, whose speech was telecast nationwide. He noted that while the EU leaders had almost dragged Europe directly into the military conflict in Ukraine, Hungary consistently advocated a peace resolution of the situation in the neighboring country.
Orban vowed that his government would continue to adhere to this stance.
"We will not let anyone drag us into a war. We will not supply weapons [to Ukraine], even though some major powers may not like it," he said.
He stressed that the EU strategy towards Ukraine had failed "not only on the battlefield, where the situation is catastrophic, but also in international politics".
In his opinion, the EU leadership acts in the interests of the United States and has forgotten about all Europeans.
"We can say that crisis management in Brussels is just classic. The main thing is to make things great for America, while everybody else must keep the mouth shut!" he described the principle of Brussels' actions.
Speaking about the EU, Orban cited an African saying: "Find out what kind of tree it is before you lean on it."
He explained that after 20 years of Hungary's presence in the community, the question has arisen whether it is possible to lean on this tree. What happened last year "drags down, pulls back, and attaches a leaden weight to our feet," Orban said. Nevertheless, he made it clear that he was hinting not at Budapest's exit from the European Union, but the need to push for changes in the EU leadership. He stressed that the EU was Hungary's "natural mode of existence."
The country feels normal: it has managed to curb inflation and the government expects economic growth to resume in 2024.
"Bookmakers are betting on Hungary," Orban stated.