Prime Minister Viktor Orban evaded answering the question of whether he personally considers Russia an aggressor state, proposing to "leave judgment to historians," Swiss media outlet Neue Zurcher Zeitung reported on Feb. 3.
Orban, whose government is widely regarded as the EU's most Russia-friendly, has repeatedly criticized aid for Ukraine, arguing it prolongs and escalates the war.
"Let's leave the judgment to the historians. I am a politician, and we have an EU decision. It obliges me to speak of 'Russian aggression,'" Orban told Neue Zurcher Zeitung.
Orban also believed that Russia did not pose a threat to Hungary despite Russian President Vladimir Putin's 2021 demands for NATO to return to its 1997 borders that excludes Hungary and other Central European states from the alliance.
"I asked him (Putin) directly whether he had a problem with Hungary's NATO membership. He said no. Because we don't have any weapons stationed on our territory that Russia sees as a threat," Orban said.
"He is concerned with long-range tactical weapons. It's hard to imagine the Hungarians invading Moscow (laughs)," the prime minister added.
During the interview with Neue Zurcher Zeitung, Orban once again called for peace talks to end Russia's war against Ukraine and said that without them, Ukraine risks becoming "the Afghanistan of the European Union."
Orban's remarks come amid strained relations between Hungary and the EU. Previously, the European Commission criticized Hungary for failing to meet democratic standards, particularly regarding political financing, conflicts of interest, and media independence.
Hungary will also not receive 1.04 billion euros ($1.08 billion) in aid from the EU due to violations of the rule of law. Budapest failed to meet the requirements, and thus lost funding, according to the European Commission.
Oksana Ihnatenko
(Updated: )
