Hungarian leader Orban accuses Germany of heading ‘war camp’
Viktor Orban (Photo:REUTERS/Bernadett Szabo)
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has accused Germany of leading a "war camp" against Russia, Czech news outlet iDnes reported on Feb. 18.
"At first, the Germans did not supply weapons, only helmets," Orban said during his annual State of the Nation address in the Hungarian capital Budapest on Feb. 18.
“But now German Leopard tanks are to roll through Ukrainian territory to the east, to the Russian border,” he said.
“There may even be old maps,” the Hungarian leaders said, obliquely referring to Nazi Germany’s attack on its former ally, the Soviet Union, during the Second World War.
Orban also said that the European Union is "prolonging the war" by supplying weapons – a propaganda trope commonly used by supporters of the Kremlin. According to Orban, "this is their war, not ours."
Ukraine, in contrast, argues that faster, larger supplies of weapons will enable it to liberate all of its territory, defeat Russia, and end the war more quickly.
"When Russia attacked, the West did not isolate the conflict, but raised it to a pan-European level," Orban said.
“The war in Ukraine is not a conflict between the armies of good and evil, but between two Slavic countries fighting each other. It is their war, not ours.”
Hungary under Orban has not been supportive of Ukraine as it attempts to fight off invasion by Russia: Budapest has refused to send weapons to Ukraine, and even refused to allow weapons for Ukraine to transit Hungarian territory.
In addition, Orban has attempted to block European Union financial aid to Ukraine – only backing down in December when the EU in turn threatened to block EU funding for Hungary.
Budapest also maintains economic and political ties with Ukraine’s enemy Russia and its allies: Hungary’s foreign minister in recent days visited Belarus, an ally of Russia that has allowed Moscow to use its territory to launch invasions and attacks on Ukraine.
We’re bringing the voice of Ukraine to the world. Support us with a one-time donation, or become a Patron!
Follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Google News
