Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orban arrives for the European Union leaders’ summit as EU leaders try to agree on Russian oil sanctions in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, in Brussels, Belgium, May 30. May 2022. Portal/Johanna Geron
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BUDAPEST, July 23 (Portal) – The European Union needs a new strategy for the war in Ukraine as sanctions against Moscow have not worked, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said on Saturday.
“A new strategy is needed, which should focus on peace talks and drafting a good peace proposal…instead of winning the war,” Orban said in a speech in Romania.
Orban, who was re-elected for a fourth consecutive term in April, reiterated that Hungary – a NATO member – will stay out of the war in neighboring Ukraine.
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He faces the biggest challenge since he took power in 2010, with double-digit inflation, a weak forint and EU funds still on hold amid a row with Brussels over democratic standards.
Orban has previously said that Hungary is unwilling to support EU embargoes or restrictions on Russian gas imports as it would undermine its economy, which is about 85% dependent on Russian gas imports.
He said in his speech that the Western strategy towards Ukraine was built on four pillars – that Ukraine could win a war against Russia with NATO weapons, that sanctions would weaken Russia and destabilize its leadership, that sanctions would harm Russia more than Europe and that the world would support Europe.
Orban said this strategy has failed as governments in Europe are collapsing “like dominoes”, energy prices have skyrocketed and a new strategy is now needed.
“We are in a car that has punctures on all four tires: it is absolutely clear that the war cannot be won like this,” Orban told his supporters.
He said Ukraine will never win the war that way, “quite simply because the Russian army has asymmetric dominance.”
Orban said there was no chance for peace talks between Russia and Ukraine.
“Since Russia wants security guarantees, this war can only be ended through peace talks between Russia and America,” he said.
RISK OF RECESSION
Orban said the threat of economic recession is now looming across Europe, which also poses a risk to the Hungarian economy. Analysts expect GDP growth to slow to around 2.5% next year.
“We have to reach a new agreement with the European Union, these financial talks are ongoing and we will come to an agreement,” he said.
The dispute over billions of euros in EU money has weighed on the forint in recent weeks, as investors sold the currency amid deteriorating global sentiment, forcing Orban’s government to take steps to reduce the budget deficit and scrap years-long price caps on gas and oil Gas to announce electricity prices for households with higher consumption. Orban said keeping price caps would have cost the budget over 2 trillion forints ($5.15 billion) this year alone.
The European Commission believes EU funds are at risk in Hungary amid allegations of corruption in tenders. She also has concerns about the independence of the judiciary, the media and non-governmental organizations.
Orban has in the past dismissed EU and US concerns about corruption in Hungary.
($1 = 388.5400 forints)
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Reporting by Krisztina Than; Editing by Angus MacSwan and Jason Neely
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