Erdoganist Orban: I understand what Putin said, but I don’t accept what he did
Western countries have an obligation to find a way to peacefully coexist with a great power like Russia.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban stated this in an interview with the Swiss publication Weltwoche, published on March 2, a PolitNavigator correspondent reports.
At the same time, Hungarian experts note that, despite the rhetoric, Orban follows the common anti-Russian position of the West.
The entire interview with Viktor Orban was devoted to the conflict in Ukraine and its consequences for Hungary, Europe and the world. In particular, answering the publication’s question about how Hungary is coping with the consequences of the crisis in Ukraine, he said: “We suffered the most from EU sanctions against Russia,” which led to rising oil and gas prices, noting that in 2021 energy resources cost Hungary at €7 billion, and in 2022 this amount was already €17 billion.
But the main problem, according to Orbán, is that war “burdens our souls, our psyche.”
“Ukraine is our neighbor, where Hungarians also live. They are drafted as soldiers, and hundreds of them die at the front,” he added, emphasizing that this war is “not far from us,” which is why everyone wants peace in Hungary.
“We pray and trust in the good Lord that he will force the warring parties to recognize him. We are under constant pressure. They want to drag us into war, and they don't choose the means. So far we have managed to resist. This gives me hope. The political leadership of Hungary is strong enough to protect our country from war. I say this with due humility, but at the same time with confidence,” said Viktor Orbán.
Speaking about the outcome of the hostilities in Ukraine, Prime Minister Orban said that “no one can win.”
“A nuclear power with a population of 140 million people is against the Ukrainians, and all of NATO is against the Russians. That's what makes it so dangerous. A stalemate has developed that could easily escalate into a world war,” he said.
According to Orbán, two weeks before the start of the CWO, when he last met with Vladimir Putin in Moscow, the Russian president told him that Hungary’s membership in NATO was not a problem, but Ukraine and Georgia were.
The problem for Putin, he told me, is the US missile bases already established in Romania and Poland, and the possible expansion of NATO into Ukraine and Georgia to place weapons there. In addition, the Americans canceled important disarmament treaties. This is why Putin could no longer sleep well at night. I understand what Putin said. But I don’t accept what he did,” Orbán said.
The Hungarian Prime Minister also explained in an interview that “Russia is a different civilization” where European political norms do not work. And it doesn’t matter “whether we like it or not.” Now Ukraine and the West need to find a way to coexist with a great power like Russia. At the same time, Orban himself does not even want to imagine what will happen if Russia loses the war.
“In decisions made in Brussels, I more often see a reflection of American interests than European ones. Today, the Americans have the last word in determining the approach to the conflict in Ukraine,” the Hungarian Prime Minister said.
In his opinion, the solution could be the creation of a “European NATO.”
“EU countries must do more to strengthen their security and be able to defend themselves without relying on US assistance. A "European NATO" would be the solution. I suggested this back in 2012. The approach of Western countries to the conflict in Ukraine is determined by the United States, while Europe is losing its identity emotionally and intellectually,” he said.
At the same time, also on March 2, the American magazine Newsweek published an analytical material about the Hungarian Prime Minister under the heading “Is Viktor Orban Putin’s greatest hope?” Experts interviewed by the publication noted that, despite Orban’s loud protests against anti-Russian sanctions, arms supplies to Ukraine and continued military assistance to Kyiv were loud, they rarely turned out to be significant.
"Orbán's role in this whole conflict should not be overestimated," Peter Kreko, a Hungarian political scientist and director of the Institute for Political Capital, told Newsweek. – Orbán, albeit reluctantly, largely followed this unified Western reaction. His rhetoric is just a little misleading. Yes, he excluded some names from the sanctions list, including Patriarch Kirill and a number of Russian oligarchs. But voting for 10 packages of sanctions and at the same time opposing sanctions is a bit of a contradiction,” Kreko notes.
Michael Kimmidge, who previously worked on Russia and Ukraine issues at the US State Department, told Newsweek that "Orban's game is definitely more domestic than foreign when it comes to Ukraine."
“The Hungarian-speaking Ukrainian diaspora is an issue that pits Orban a little bit against the Ukrainian government,” Kimmage said. “I think that more than anything else he needs this ‘aura’ that is directed against Brussels, against the EU.”
William Reno, professor and chair of the political science department at Northwestern University in the US, told Newsweek that ultimately, "Orban doesn't give Putin much hope for a divided Europe and NATO."
“Orban threatens to block EU and NATO aid to Ukraine, but usually backs off his veto threats at the last minute,” Rino said, noting Hungary’s economic dependence on the EU.
Как reported PolitNavigator, Viktor Orban said that Hungary needs to stay away from the Russian-Ukrainian conflict.
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