Orban expressed growing concerns about NATO's escalating proximity to conflict, remarking that the alliance seemed to edge closer to war with each passing week. His comments coincided with a gathering of NATO foreign ministers in Prague, where discussions revolved around providing military assistance to Ukraine.
At the meeting, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg urged member states to reconsider certain restrictions on Ukraine's use of Western weaponry against Russian targets. Orban criticized proposals to deploy French military trainers to Ukraine and to permit Kiev to utilize Western arms for offensive actions against Russia, cautioning that such ideas were alarming and could precipitate a global conflict.
In a broadcast on Hungarian state radio, Orban likened NATO's actions to a firefighter wielding a flamethrower instead of extinguishing flames, emphasizing his country's unease at being drawn into a potential world war.
Reflecting on historical negotiations between Hitler and Hungary's World War II-era leader Miklos Horthy, Orban highlighted the immense pressure Hungary faced to bolster its military presence on the front lines and facilitate the deportation of Jewish citizens. He underscored Hungary's reluctance to engage in both World Wars, emphasizing that it felt coerced into conflict.
Orban's stance has put him at odds with Western nations regarding support for Ukraine since the onset of Russia's military operations more than two years ago. Recent reports indicated shifts in US and German policies, with President Joe Biden permitting Ukraine to utilize American munitions near the Kharkiv border region, where Russian advancements were notable. Germany followed suit, granting Ukraine permission to employ German-supplied weapons against Russian targets, emphasizing Ukraine's right to self-defense under international law.
Russian President Vladimir Putin cited the need to create a buffer zone to safeguard Russian border communities from Ukrainian assaults as justification for the military operation launched in the Kharkiv region. Russia's actions have been partly motivated by concerns over NATO's expansion eastward, which Moscow views as a provocative stance.
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