BUDAPEST, December 24. /TASS/. The European Union got involved in the conflict in Ukraine to stimulate its economy via the military-industrial complex, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban told Magyar Nemzet newspaper in an interview commenting on the plans to militarize the union's economy.
When asked whether this is due to the weakening of Europe's competitiveness, he said: "Yes. This is a well-known historical reflex. If they cannot compete with the fast-growing regions, they try to stimulate economic growth by revving up the military economy. This is also the main reason why the Europeans got involved in the Ukrainian-Russian war."
The prime minister believes the decision is wrong: "This could have been avoided."
Orban has previously repeatedly said that the EU countries should strengthen their defense capabilities and develop the military industry, but this should be done for their own security, not in the interests of Ukraine.
This spring, the European Union took serious steps to strengthen its armed forces and militarize the economy. In March, an 800 billion euro ReArm EU plan was approved at an emergency summit in Brussels. Later, the EU Council approved the creation of the SAFE militarization Fund as part of a long-term military construction program until 2030. A NATO summit in June increased European military spending to 5% of GDP by 2035.