Orbán admits threat from Russia, stresses need for sovereign Ukraine

Viktor Orbán
Viktor Orbán

Commenting on the war in Ukraine during a meeting of the executive committee of Centrist Democrat International, the Hungarian prime minister said that Europe was united in terms of its goals.

Read also: Budapest mayor criticizes Hungarian government for making gas deals with Putin

"The main thing is for Russia not to pose a threat to the security of Europe, and for this, we need a sovereign Ukraine," Orbán said.

Read also: European Parliament says Hungary no longer a democracy, but ‘electoral autocracy’

At the same time, he added that there are discussions about the role of sanctions among European leaders, and according to him, this debate will continue. Orbán also again said that high energy prices due to the war and the EU sanctions imposed on Russia complicated the economic situation in Central and Eastern Europe.

Budapest has consistently advocated for the termination of EU sanctions against Russia, arguing that they do not work and only harm Hungarians.

On Oct. 24, Orbán said that the European Union's support for Ukraine through sanctions and military aid increases the risk of the war spreading to the territory of the bloc.

Later, Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesman Oleg Nikolenko, commenting on Orbán's words about the EU's assistance to Ukraine, said that if the partners stop supporting Ukraine, “Russian troops will be in Budapest much sooner than the prime minister thinks.”

Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine