Orban: Putin would not have started the war under Merkel
In "Friedensmission" on the move, Viktor Orban aims to end the suffering in Ukraine, according to his reason for the journey to Putin. The Hungarian prime minister considers Putin invincible. And in general: The attack on Ukraine would not have happened with Merkel as Chancellor, he declares.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban is currently on a self-titled "peace mission." In an interview with the "Bild" newspaper, the 61-year-old explains his motivation and is convinced that the war would never have broken out if Angela Merkel were still Chancellor.
"There are very few people in the world who know more about Russia than the Hungarians, and especially their prime minister," Orban said. "I know the Russians. They are different from us. They have a different history, a different culture, different instincts and attitudes. A different understanding of freedom and a different understanding of national sovereignty." Merkel misunderstood "the liberal democracy in Russia" and had little understanding for "this foolish approach of many Westerners."
Orban also explained his "peace mission" in the interview. He expressed concern about further escalation at the front. "The next two, three months will be much more brutal than we think," he said. "There will be more weapons, and the Russians are more determined." The energy of confrontation, the number of casualties, and the number of victims will therefore be more brutal than in the previous seven months, even though the time before was also very brutal.
On Friday, Orban was welcomed by Russian President Vladimir Putin during his controversial visit to Moscow. Orban staged the meeting with Putin, whose country has been waging an armed conflict against Ukraine for more than two years, as a "peace mission." Orban's goal is peace and a ceasefire. He does not argue about who is right or wrong.
"Putin cannot lose"
This peace policy is appropriate to prevent loss of human life, Orban told the "Bild" newspaper. "That is the most important moral motivation. But there is also Europe's own interest, because what is happening here is very bad for us." In general, the attitude of the Hungarian state leader towards the war in Ukraine is a thorn in the eye in Europe.
"It is sad that I have to say this, but Europe also has a war policy," Orban said. One should detach oneself from the USA and pursue an "autonomous policy." After all, one of the main victims of the two warring parties is the European economy and the European population.
Orban, however, does not see a military solution to the war in Ukraine. Above all, because Russia appears to him as an overpowering force. "Putin cannot lose if one looks at soldiers, weapons, and technology," Orban told the newspaper. "Russia to be defeated is a thought that is hard to imagine. The likelihood that Russia could actually be defeated is completely uncalculable."
Orban maintains close relations with Moscow despite the Ukraine conflict. Sanctions against Russia and EU financial aid for Kiev has been delayed by the Hungarian government several times. In addition, he criticized the opening of EU accession negotiations with Ukraine.
- Despite the ongoing conflicts in Ukraine, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban believes that Russia, led by President Vladimir Putin, is an overpowering force that is virtually invincible in a military sense, according to his statements in a recent interview.
- Orban's controversial visit to Moscow was framed as a "peace mission," where he urged Putin to seek a ceasefire in the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine, expressing concern about the escalation of violence and potential loss of lives.
- The EU's war policy, as Orban sees it, has been detrimental to both the European economy and population, and he advocates for an autonomous policy that distances Europe from the United States, believing that the conflict in Ukraine is one of the main victims of this policy.
