PM Orbán: Ukraine ‘wouldn’t last a day’ without West

Not only would Ukraine be unable to fight a war with Russia without the West, but it “would not even last a day”, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán told public radio on Friday.

Ukrainians “incapable of keeping their own state functioning”, says Orbán

In his weekly interview, Orbán said the Ukrainians were “incapable of keeping their own state functioning” adding that “we’re the ones paying for Ukrainians’ pensions, the salaries of state employees and the operation of Ukrainian public services.” “We’re the ones funding their military,” he said.

“So without us, without the West, Ukraine wouldn’t last a day; not only would it be unable to fight a war against Russia . it simply couldn’t even exist,” the prime minister said. “Admitting a country like this to the European Union means taking on a lot of trouble; there’s no need for that.”

Orbán said that if Ukraine was admitted to the EU, “war would also be admitted”. This would mean that there would be an EU member with a war going on along its eastern borders, “and it would only be a matter of time before every European Union member got involved in that war”, he said. “We don’t want the Russia-Ukraine war to become our war,” he said.

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Western European leaders jumped into the war

Orbán said that three years ago, western European leaders had “jumped into the war” with the idea that “this is our war”, that Ukraine was actually fighting for Europe’s security, that Russia posed a threat and had to be defeated on Ukraine’s territory rather than closer to the EU’s borders. He said he had always considered this approach a mistake because it had “suddenly made Ukraine a security threat” to Europe.

The Hungarian government, on the other hand, “as the sole pro-peace force”, had always called the war a conflict between “two Slavic brothers”, Orbán said, noting that the government has been calling for a ceasefire to prevent the conflict from expanding and hurting the European economy in the long run.

Orbán said there were times when a country may need to carry out military operations that resulted in casualties, “but that must be closely, evidently, strongly, undeniably … in line with our national interests.” “Sending even a single Hungarian to Ukraine and even a single Hungarian dying there is not in our national interest,” he added.

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Orbán criticised the EU’s plan to finance Ukraine from a loan at a time when the European economy is stagnant and the public debt of a significant number of member states exceeds their annual economic output. “In fact, the Ukrainians are asking the EU to finance a one million-strong Ukrainian army,” he said. The United States, Orban added, “has stopped doing this because it is now led by a businessman who says that this is not a gain but a loss for America”.

Ukraine’s EU membership would destroy Hungary

The prime minister said Ukraine could not oblige Hungary to support its European Union membership. “This would destroy Hungary and jeopardise the life of our children,” Orbán said. “That is why we don’t want to admit them and they don’t have the right to join the EU. They have the right … to request to join. And we have the right to accept or deny,” he said.

Hungary will not “fall on its knees” before Ukraine, Orbán said. “We are aware of their difficult situation and heroic efforts, but we won’t join western Europeans when they listen in delirium when the Ukrainian president has something to say,” the prime minister said. “We know full well who the Ukrainian president is, and we know the Ukrainians … they should not pretend to be champions of morality because they don’t have the basis to do so … they cannot speak to us in a condescending manner,” Orbán said.

Zelensky cannot present demands

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky “needs to understand that Hungary belongs to the Hungarians; he cannot present demands and cannot ride his high horse here; should he want something, he could come, with due modesty, and tell us what he wants. And we will respond,” Orbánsaid.

He said the Ukrainian president had “threatened Hungary” citing “some sort of facts and documents we’re not aware of”. Orbán said that if the Ukrainian president had found something “that could offend him”, he should release it “instead of sending messages and making threats”. Hungary has been helping Ukraine “for which it has not asked for gratitude”, but “for them to talk about disrespect is a step too far”, he said. “The fact that the Ukrainian president has friends in Hungary and that there are openly pro-Ukrainian parties … doesn’t give him the right to talk to Hungary like this,” he added.