Tensions escalated this week between Ukraine and Hungary following comments from Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban.
Orban publicly implored the U.S. to reconsider its policy of military engagement in Ukraine and to pursue peace negotiations with Russia.
In a recent interview with American journalist Tucker Carlson on platform X (previously known as Twitter), Orban expressed doubts regarding the strategic advantages of NATO’s military engagement with Russia on Ukraine’s behalf.
“The window of opportunity is not open anymore,” Orban noted, according to RT, suggesting that Russia has grown too powerful for Ukraine to join NATO now.
He contrasted this with 2008, explaining, “Russia was not strong enough to stop it, so there was a real chance at the time to integrate the Ukrainians into NATO. But it was rejected” by NATO’s European allies.
Orban’s candid views have not gone unnoticed in Kiev.
In a pointed retort on Facebook, Ukrainian diplomat Oleg Nikolayenko said, “Ukraine does not sell out its territories or its sovereignty. And neither will the world.”
Nikolayenko went on to make a sarcastic remark, highlighting that it has been a while since Orban made such comments: “Officials in Kiev have been worried that Viktor Orban had not urged stopping weapon supplies to Ukraine and legitimizing the Russian aggression for some time.”
The Hungarian Prime Minister also raised alarms over the potential for global conflict.
He estimated that while Ukraine continues to lose its troops, including ethnic Hungarians, its resources will deplete long before Russia’s do.
He warned that if Western nations decide to engage militarily in Ukraine, the situation could escalate into a direct confrontation between the West and Russia, leading to a larger-scale global conflict.
Orban maintains that NATO’s current strategy in Ukraine aligns with the U.S.’s goal to “crush” Russia.
He criticized this approach as ineffective and emphasized the importance of peace talks, noting that Budapest has been championing this perspective since the beginning of the conflict.
