Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has warned the European Union (EU) against taking steps that he said would amount to “entering war”, expressing opposition to proposals to seize Russian assets and direct funds to Ukraine.
Speaking ahead of an EU Council meeting, Orban said he did not want the European Union to become a party to the war between Russia and Ukraine.
“Because I would not like to see the European Union in a war, giving money means war. I only want peace. Because I think what we have to do is take some steps towards peace, not towards war,” he said.
He questioned calls for additional security guarantees and financial measures against Russia, arguing that such steps would escalate the conflict rather than help resolve it.
“You want more guarantees? For what,” Orban said, adding:
“The whole idea is stupid, to take money away from someone.”
Orban stressed that the conflict was not one in which the EU was directly involved.
“There are two countries at war. It’s not the European Union, it’s Russia and Ukraine,” he said.
He criticized proposals to seize assets from one side of the conflict and transfer them to the other, warning that it would drag the bloc deeper into war.
The European Commission has proposed using the frozen assets to provide Ukraine with additional financial and military support through loans in the coming years.
Belgium has expressed concern about the plan, warning of potential legal and financial risks if Russia were to demand the return of the assets.
