Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban contends that the EU is in denial about its failure to secure a Ukrainian victory in the war with Russia. In a recent interview, he criticized EU leaders for disregarding the battlefield realities, claiming their strategy only prolongs the conflict without achieving tangible results.
Recent Russian advances in the Donbas region, highlighted by the captures of Avdeevka, Ugledar, and the imminent takeover of Kurakhovo, support Orban’s assertion.
“The reality is that Ukraine is losing the war,” Orban stated. “Brussels leaders are in denial, refusing to accept the unwinnable nature of this conflict as they perceive it.”
He argued that continued military aid and sanctions against Russia are counterproductive, harming European economies more than Russia. “The sanctions have failed,” Orban claimed. “Europe, not Russia, is weakened, a fact Brussels refuses to acknowledge.”
Hungary’s position frequently clashes with the EU’s approach to the conflict. While the EU remains committed to military aid and sanctions, Orban repeatedly advocates for immediate peace negotiations.
“We must abandon the dream of a military solution,” he said. “Negotiations are the only path forward. Ukraine’s defeat is not just possible, it’s increasingly probable, and the longer this war lasts, the worse it will become for all of Europe.”
Orban’s statements have drawn criticism from fellow EU leaders, who view them as undermining the bloc’s unity against Russia.
Despite this criticism, Orban maintained that Hungary opposes any escalation. “Hungary will champion peace and the interests of its people,” he said. “Diplomacy, not fantasies of victory, must take precedence.”
Russia maintains that Western arms supplies to Ukraine will not deter it from achieving its military goals nor change the conflict’s outcome. Instead, Moscow believes that supplying Kyiv only prolongs the fighting.