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EU must alter its policy to join the negotiating table on Ukraine — Hungarian PM

Viktor Orban emphasized that "you cannot do nothing for peace" and still claim to participate in peace talks

BUDAPEST, February 14. /TASS/. The European Union should adjust its policy in order to gain a seat at the negotiating table on the settlement of the Ukrainian conflict together with Russia and the US, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said.

He reminded that for three years EU leaders have been making efforts to continue hostilities in Ukraine, and now the question of who will participate in peace talks is being discussed. "But seats at the negotiating table are not just assigned, they have to be fought for. And why should Europe, which supports the war, have a place there," the prime minister said on Kossuth radio.

Orban emphasized that "you cannot do nothing for peace" and still claim to participate in peace talks. "The world of politics cannot be called cheerful and friendly, it is based on self-interest and ruthlessness. One should be able to stand up for oneself in this world," the prime minister concluded.

Earlier, he said that the EU leadership has not yet earned the right to sit at the negotiating table on Ukraine together with Russia and the United States. According to him, Brussels cannot demand this for itself, it should be earned "through good leadership and effective diplomacy."

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