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The Prime Minister said for months he has been reading recollections and diaries, and finds the similarities between the present situation and the preparations for World Wars I and II alarming; at the time, both politicians and the media played an active role in these efforts.
“What is happening in Brussels and Washington today – perhaps more so in Brussels than in Washington – is a kind of attunement to a possible direct military conflict. We can call it a series of preparations for Europe’s entry into war,” he said. At the same time, Mr Orbán took the view that the existence of armies is a must, that in itself does not lead to war because the cause of most wars is weakness. He said if a country believes that another country whose territory and economy it is after is unable to protect itself, that country may find itself overcome by instincts and desires to obtain that other country’s territory and economic resources for itself. There is only one remedy against this, he continued, the country chosen to be victimised must be strong enough to protect itself, and so strength – an army – is essential to avoid war. He added that this is why they say that if you want peace, you must prepare for war; however, not in order to wage a war, but “to maintain peace.” The Prime Minister therefore pointed out that we needed an army, soldiers, preparations and the reinforcement of our self-defence capabilities. He said it is a big enough problem that for a long time Hungary did not have these, and even now these capabilities of ours are not yet complete because our national army is not yet strong enough, but they are on the right track towards its strengthening.
Mr Orbán asked the question of whether Russia would stop once it had defeated Ukraine. The Prime Minister takes the view that the Russian army is waging a serious and difficult war against the Ukrainians, and is unable to defeat them; meaning that this is a prolonged war. He said the strength of NATO is not comparable with that of Ukraine, “it is a hundred-fold, but it may well be a thousand-fold.” “So, I don’t think it’s a logical assumption that Russia – that is not even able to get the better of Ukraine – would come along all of a sudden and devour the entire western world,” he said, adding that the chances of anyone daring to attack a NATO Member State are extremely slim.
He stressed that NATO had made it clear that it was a defence alliance, and would not tolerate any military action that would violate the sovereignty of any NATO Member State. Mr Orbán sees references to a Russian threat as a preparatory manoeuvre, in preparation for Europe’s or the West’s entry into war. The Prime Minister pointed out that instead of seeing the conflict as a war between two Slavic nations and isolating it as such, Western Europeans identify this war as their own. He added that the changes of the German position amply demonstrated how month after month we were drifting ever closer to the war. Now, there is talk in some countries about the destruction of Russian military weaponry in Ukraine’s airspace, or about setting foot if not on the front, but in the territory of Ukraine, he observed.
In light of European history, this is a communications operation in preparation for a war campaign, he confirmed, pointing out that no one is able to tell the length or the cost of the path that would lead to the success of the European strategy related to the war. How much longer will we do this, how much more weaponry and how much more money will we send? he asked. This will slowly lead to a clash between NATO, the European Union and Russia, the latter being a nuclear power, he warned, adding that this raises “the darkest visions.”
In his view, at this point in time, Hungary is in an extremely difficult situation; we are the country that insists on adhering to the NATO treaty and the public consensus defining NATO’s mission. NATO is a defence alliance which was established in order to ensure that should any one of its members be attacked, the rest will rush to its aid, he recalled. There is nothing in the treaty about NATO conducting military operations outside its territory or engaging in a war with countries outside the alliance, he stressed. At the same time, everyone seems to be in some other future, and today there is military planning under way in Brussels. There are teams working hard to figure out how NATO could take part in the Russo-Ukrainian war, Mr Orbán said.
Describing Hungary’s situation, the Prime Minister said we are there in all these committees as a member of NATO, but we disapprove of their actions. We do not want to take part in the conflict with either financial or weaponry support, not even under the auspices of NATO. He observed that a new term had been invented in NATO to describe the Hungarian position; it is called ‘non-participant’. He added that we have not yet opted out because if we did so, our involvement in NATO’s military structure would also change.
Mr Orbán said he does not know how long this situation can be maintained; Hungary must therefore re-define its position within the military alliance. He indicated that strenuous efforts were being made to determine how Hungary could exist as a NATO member without taking part in NATO operations outside the territory of the military alliance. Hungarian diplomacy must find a solution to this, and this is “a question of art,” a new description, a new definition must be created, the Prime Minister stressed.
In the radio interview, Mr Orbán also spoke about the fact that the Hungarian people believe that the upcoming European election will be about war and peace. Naturally, it will also be about migration and traditional family values, but the issue of the war is forcing its way before all other important issues, he added. The Prime Minister warned that posterity might well say that this had been the European election that had decided the question of war and peace, adding that in addition to the European election, the November election in the United States was also going to be such an election.
He observed, however, that war caused not only suffering, but also generated profits for the war industry and weapons traders. Those who have insider information about the war, who rather than manufacturing weapons, speculate – meaning venture capital speculators – are also behind the pro-war forces, and in this George Soros, too, “excels,” he indicated. There are politicians who can be bought such as members of the Hungarian Left who receive money from the West – coming from pro-war money people – in every election campaign, Mr Orbán stated, adding that it is no wonder that the Hungarian Left – contrary to the will of left-wing voters – is pro-war. He does not understand, however, why the leaders of large European countries share similar views.
We can find the roots of the most serious troubles of life in Europe – such as demographic decline or the issue of migration – in wars. Every European wat is, in fact, also a pan-European civil war in which white Christian people exterminate one another, he said. It is no wonder that the European Christian world which once had a dominant influence over the rest of the world and was able to defend itself against migration is now unable to do so, he observed, adding that tens of millions of people are missing from the European continent because our soldiers died in wars. In the past 100 to 150 years, every European war has, on the whole, caused losses to everyone, he recalled.
In answer to the question how to compete with circles with a vested interest in the continuation of the war, the Prime Minister said the people are, the people’s voice is the last resort because Europe is a democracy at the end of the day. At the same time, he also pointed out that if today someone does something that is good for the people, on the European scene it is immediately branded as populist as in Brussels politicians are expected to stand for ideologies. He added that high ideals are necessary, but these cannot be more important than the people themselves.
He said Hungary is building its strategy on the assumption that in the upcoming European elections there will be an increase in the number of people who want peace and do not support their own governments in their continued march towards the war. He stressed that he would be satisfied if the people could at least stop – with their votes – the process of drifting into the war. At the same time, he took the view that this was only one half of the job because “the other half, too, will have to be accomplished so that the same thing should also happen in America,” and then the western world could perhaps “stop before reaching the edge of the precipice.”
According to Mr Orbán, the European Commission’s decision that Hungary will be required to pay Brussels six million forints a day for not being prepared to take migrants in is not simply just shocking; it makes one’s blood boil. “How does anyone dare tell the Hungarian people whom they should let in?” he added. “This is impossible. Absolutely out of the question,” the Prime Minister stated, pointing out that while Hungary is protecting Europe and has already spent billions of euros on border protection, “Brussels is shooting it in the back.” We can only have one answer to this: we must send the European leaders who make such decisions packing, the Prime Minister laid down.
