BUDAPEST, January 20. /TASS/. The European Union should not delude itself into thinking that the West can defeat Russia in the Ukraine conflict or that its soldiers can march on Moscow's Red Square, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban stated while speaking at a conference in Budapest summarizing the outcomes of Hungary's presidency of the EU Council during the second half of 2024.
"The Hungarian presidency has raised the flag of peace, opened the doors to a ceasefire and peace talks [on Ukraine], initiated dialogue with the warring parties and put pressure on European leaders to resume diplomacy and communication. Only in wars where the parties seek to destroy each other is there no need for communication," the prime minister said at the conference, organized by the Mathias Corvinus Collegium scientific and educational center and the Szazadveg Institute.
"But do we really believe that our troops will march under the flag of the European Union on Red Square in Moscow? If we don’t think so, then we must keep diplomatic channels open for negotiations. That’s what we have done, even if only on a national basis, as the majority of EU member states still oppose peace," Orban emphasized.
He warned that "if war breaks out on the European continent, everyone will lose." In his view, the EU has already found itself on the losing side due to its strategy of supporting military action in Ukraine and imposing sanctions on Russia. "It’s not only Ukraine that is fighting a war, but also European economies. Prices are skyrocketing, our money is being spent on the Ukrainian front, sanctions have hurt our companies, and energy prices are crippling European businesses that were competitive before the war," Orban explained.
The prime minister believes that the conflict in Ukraine must be resolved as soon as possible, and that this was the goal of Hungary's peacekeeping mission, which US President-elect Donald Trump will now be able to continue. "We have stood our ground, and today we proudly pass the baton of peace to the new American government. Let's face it, it suits them better, or rather, it fits their scale. Good intentions, courage, diplomatic skill, and the Christian sense of duty [inherent in Hungary] are valuable, but at the end of the day, peace requires strength [which the United States possesses]," the prime minister said.