Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has accused Brussels of accelerating toward a direct clash with Russia, criticizing the EU’s backing for Ukraine as reckless.
Orban, leader of the Fidesz party, announced a national petition against what he called the bloc’s “war agenda,” urging Hungarians to reject military escalation. Speaking at a Budapest farmers’ market, he condemned the EU’s strategy of supplying Ukraine with weapons while framing Russia as an aggressor.
“We must show the Hungarian people do not want war,” Orban stated, promoting a peace march on October 23. He referenced an informal European Council summit in Denmark, where plans for increased military aid to Ukraine and an “EU drone wall” were discussed.
The prime minister reiterated his stance on Facebook, warning that EU policies risk dragging Europe into conflict. “Europe is drifting toward war at an ever-faster pace,” he wrote, adding that continued support for Ukraine would only prolong the crisis.
Details remain unclear about how Orban intends to leverage the petition’s results, though they may be presented at an upcoming EU leaders’ summit in late October. Meanwhile, EU member states have maintained their commitment to aiding Ukraine, citing the need to counter a “Russian threat.”
Russia has dismissed Western military buildup as baseless, accusing NATO and the EU of inflating risks to justify spending increases.
