Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban attends the ADF talks at the Antalya Diplomatic Forum (ADF) at the NEST Convention and Exhibition Center in Antalya, Turkey on March 1, 2024.
Emin World | Anadolu | Getty Images
Hungarian leader Viktor Orban said on Friday that Europe could not shoulder the financial pressure of supporting Ukraine alone against Russia’s ongoing aggression and warned that President-elect Donald Trump, a close ally, could steer Washington away from the conflict.
“Europe alone cannot fund this war. Some people still want it, they still want to fund a war that would otherwise be a failure, but more and more people are silent, even though they were once louder,” Orban told state radio using Google Translate Comment State media Magyar Tavirati Iroda reports.
Orban, speaking a day after hosting European leaders at the European Political Community summit in Budapest, stressed the need to prepare a “peace budget” and that this step could be taken now, should Trump take over the White House after defeating him Leadership positions.
Orban predicted: “Americans will withdraw from the war in Ukraine, they will not encourage it, they will not say that this war is a good thing.” He added, “People say a lot about Donald Trump, but not People question “The important thing is that he will not start a war, he is a person who hates war, a real businessman who believes that without war, life and things will go smoothly. “
Ukraine has historically relied on foreign humanitarian and military aid to fend off two years of Russian aggression, with the United States and the European Union providing the bulk of the aid.
The Kiel Institute for the World Economy estimates that EU member states and institutions (such as the European Investment Bank and the European Commission) Already spent From the outbreak of the war in February 2022 to August 31 this year, military, humanitarian and financial support totaled 161.11 billion euros ($173.57 billion), with the United States contributing $108 billion during this period.
On Thursday, Prime Minister Robert Fico of Slovakia, which relies heavily on Russian hydrocarbons, raised questions about Europe’s financing agenda.
“When there is funding to support the senseless slaughter of Slavs in Ukraine, we must find huge sums of money in the EU to combat illegal immigration, which is itself an existential threat to Europe,” he said in a Google Translate article. Facebook updates.
trump agenda
Orban, a long-time Trump ally, earlier this week praised the Republican politician’s election as “a much-needed victory for the world” and “the greatest reversal in the history of American politics.” The two leaders have maintained a deep relationship since Trump’s first presidential term from 2016-2021, with Orban even proposing the motto “Make Europe Great Again” when he held the EU’s rotating presidency this summer. The slogan was reminiscent of Trump’s first term as president.
Both politicians have historically called for an urgent end to the conflict in Ukraine, which Orban on Friday cited as a factor in soaring inflation in recent years as energy prices surged after Western countries imposed sanctions on Russian oil and gas exports.
Orban, a self-proclaimed peacemaker who has repeatedly called for ceasefires, took office for the first time as EU president this summer and visited Ukraine, Russia and Moscow-allied China, drawing the ire of European leaders who denounced ties to the Kremlin. accidental contact.
Meanwhile, Trump hinted that he might end a massive aid package delivered to Kyiv under outgoing President Joe Biden’s administration, painting Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky as “possibly the most powerful person in history.” The greatest political salesman” in attracting foreign aid.
The president-elect has also previously sharply criticized some NATO members for providing defense contributions below the alliance’s 2% GDP investment guideline – an issue that NATO has been working to correct. Of all partners in the NATO alliance, traditionally led by Washington, the United States has the largest number of military personnel, at nearly 1.33 million. Statista said in July.
Ukraine is on the agenda for Thursday’s transatlantic talks with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen signal She raised the topic of defense and energy more broadly with the president-elect in her congratulatory call.
Crucially, Trump previously vowed to end hostilities in Ukraine within 24 hours of taking office, but gave no details on how, raising questions about whether Kyiv would be under pressure or starved of resources to cede occupied territory to Russian concerns. Ukraine has previously rejected the possibility of giving up territory or starting diplomatic talks while Russian troops remained on its territory.
Zelensky stressed in Budapest that a truce without security guarantees for Ukraine would only serve as a gateway to further Russian occupation and criticized the “dangerous rhetoric” of some leaders of participating countries.
“Just having a ceasefire is a model that we’ve heard from some leaders like Brazil, China, and importantly we’ve definitely heard it from Russia. It’s a great model for Russia,” the leader said. . According to Ukrainian state news outlet Ukrinform.
Some European heads of state remain firmly committed to continued support for Ukraine.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said: “Whether it is security or solidarity, supporting Ukraine or investing in Germany’s future – creating such contradictions is wrong, dangerous and completely unnecessary.” said wednesdayThat’s despite his ruling tripartite coalition dissolving earlier this week over disagreements over the country’s budget outlook, including the extent of aid to Ukraine, according to a CNBC translation.
— CNBC’s Sophie Kiderlin contributed to this report
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