The newspaper asked the Hungarian Prime Minister about the chances of the US peace plan in connection with his visit to Moscow.
Mr Orbán recalled that following NATO’s easterly expansion, Ukraine played the role of a neutral buffer zone between NATO and Russia which provided security and balance for Europe from a defence point of view. However, today, the two parties mutually accuse one another of having disrupted this arrangement.
He took the view that the only lasting solution was to make Ukraine a buffer zone again upon the development of the post-war system within the boundaries agreed upon at a prospective peace conference. At the same time, NATO and Russia must agree on the size and permitted weaponry of the Ukrainian forces and must provide guarantees that they will not attempt to draw the buffer zone within their own control.
Mr Orbán said it is time to face the realities on the ground, and the 28-point US peace plan reflects sober reality. Time is on Russia’s side because the longer it takes to make peace, the more territory and more human lives Ukraine will lose, he argued, adding that the latter could only be avoided by sending NATO ground troops to the front which would, however, lead to an extensive European war. The plan would additionally allow Russia to re-integrate into the international economy, including the lifting of the sanctions imposed on Moscow and the development of a boom in business opportunities.
The Prime Minister took the view that “it’s also over for the little fairy tale” that the war can be financed from money originating from Russia. We must tell our citizens that the Europeans pay 100 per cent of each and every euro that has been spent on supporting Ukraine so far and to be spent henceforth, he said.
He added: it also follows from this that high-level European-Russian talks must be initiated within the shortest possible time. Additionally, we must conclude an arms control agreement with Moscow, while in the long term we must reinforce Europe’s military capabilities in order that it may be able to defend itself against any enemy in a traditional war.
In answer to a question, Mr Orbán also spoke about the fight against anti-Semitism. He took the view that migration brought with it a significant amount of anti-Semitism, and in the western half of the continent, this had created a difficult situation for Jewish communities, due to which many families were leaving Western Europe. He observed that migration also brought with it homophobia and views relating to the inferior status of women. He repeated that Hungary was not letting migrants in, and would rather put up with having to pay a Brussels fine of one million euros a day than become an immigrant country. One of the results of this policy is that in Hungary every member of the Jewish community can live freely and without fear. Zero tolerance against anti-Semitism is also part of the government’s policy, he laid down.
