Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, the only European Union leader to have met with Russian President Vladimir Putin since he launched his full-scale invasion of Ukraine, says the bloc’s strategy with regards to the war “has failed” and a plan B should be created as Kyiv will not win the frontline battle against Russia.
Speaking in Brussels on the sidelines of the EU summit where discussion was focused on support for Ukraine, Orban said there was a “big battle” over the matter and added that he saw no reason for Hungary to send its taxpayers’ money to support Kyiv, which has been battling to repel invading Russian troops sent by Putin since February 2022.
Orban’s comments came as the European Commission is seeking unanimous support from member states to increase the long-term EU budget before the end of the year, in particular to ensure the continued flow of financial aid to Ukraine.
The commission proposed a revision of the 2021-27 EU budget worth 1.1 trillion euros ($1.2 trillion) to provide 50 billion euros to Ukraine and spend another 15 billion euros on migration. But the budget top-up needs backing from all member states, who will be required to make additional contributions from their national budgets.
The EU leaders discussed the revision of the budget during the first day of their summit in Brussels, but they did not find an agreement and only decided to “take work forward, with a view to reaching an overall agreement by the end of the year.”
Orban, whose government continues to cultivate closer ties with Russia, unlike the other EU states, has been seen as a potential opponent of increased aid for Ukraine.
“We found this proposal had not been worked out properly and was not suitable to be a basis for serious negotiations, so we rejected it,” Orban told his country’s state radio on October 27.
“It was a big battle, especially on the Ukrainian issue.”
Orban said the biggest problem was that the Brussels strategy to send money and military aid to Ukraine to help its fight against Russia “has failed”.
“Today everybody knows but they do not dare to say it out loud, that this strategy has failed. It’s obvious that this will not work... the Ukrainians will not win on the front line,” he said, adding that a plan B was needed.
Orban’s comments came as Budapest is trying to unlock billions in aid envisaged for Hungary in the EU budget but blocked by the executive European Commission over rule-of-law concerns.
Orban’s position drew criticism from other EU leaders. Luxembourg Prime Minister Xavier Bettel said on October 27 that Hungary should not keep the EU “hostage” over Ukraine aid.
“You can’t say: if you want money for Ukraine, we want money for us. We shouldn’t be the hostage of Mr. Orban and I’m convinced we will find a positive solution,” he said.
Bettel was among several EU leaders who criticized Orban for having met Russian President Vladimir Putin in China this month as Moscow wages a war against Ukraine and the EU is shunning the Kremlin.
“It is really showing the middle finger to a country that suffers daily under Russian missiles and bombs,” Bettel said on October 26.
But Orban defended his decision to meet Putin, saying that he was “proud” to keep communications open with Moscow.
Orban was not the only EU leader who did not agree on the commission’s proposition for a revision of the budget.
Backing up Orban over his fears of what happens to funds headed to Ukraine was his northern neighbor, Slovakia.
Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico, who was appointed on October 25, said aid to Ukraine should include guarantees that the funds would not be misappropriated.
"Ukraine is among the most corrupt countries in the world and we are conditioning what is excessive financial support on guarantees that European money (including Slovak) will not be embezzled," he said in a statement.
Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda said the proposed 50 billion euros for Ukraine was not enough, while Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas said that - beyond supporting Ukraine -- joint expenditure should grow to improve EU defense capabilities.
Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo backed continued support for Ukraine but called on the commission to make better use of the cash in its own coffers instead of asking the EU members for bigger contributions.
A decision on the budget revision is expected at the next EU summit in December.