Orban in Moscow: Russian Demands Are Reasonable, Sanctions Are Pointless
Orban: sanctions have brought more harm to Hungary than Russia
Splitting sharply from his NATO allies, Prime Minister Viktor Orban of Hungary said on Tuesday that proposed sanctions against Russia if it takes military action against Ukraine would be “doomed to failure” and that Russian security demands were reasonable.
Visiting Moscow, Mr. Orban met privately for five hours with President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia, and afterward said at an amiable news conference with Mr. Putin that he “did not see any intention” for Russia to escalate the conflict with Ukraine.
Most Western leaders have denounced Mr. Putin for deploying more than 100,000 troops near Ukraine’s borders, and U.S. and NATO officials have warned that Russia appeared to be preparing for an invasion. Hungary is a member of the European Union and NATO, which have both pledged to respond forcefully to a Russian invasion of Ukraine.
“The president was very calm and said that Russia’s demands for security guarantees are normal and should be the basis for negotiations,” said Mr. Orban. “And I agree with that. We must negotiate.”
As Washington floats a strict sanctions regime in the event of a new Russian incursion into Ukraine, Mr. Orban said previous sanctions “did not bring the desired effect in the case of Russia at all.”
He said the sanctions imposed by the European Union after Russia annexed Crimea in 2014 did more harm to Hungary than their intended target.
Relations between Kyiv and Budapest soured in 2017 over a law Ukraine passed making Ukrainian the official language of education, which Hungary said discriminated against the ethnic Hungarian minority in the country’s west. Since then, Budapest has blocked operations of the NATO-Ukraine Council, the primary forum for the military alliance to engage with Kyiv.
Unlike most its neighbors, Hungary has also signaled that it would neither allow increased NATO troop presence on its soil, not send more aid to Ukraine.
Source: New York Times
Orban, who has led NATO-member Hungary since 2010, has had friendly relations with Putin while presiding over deteriorating ties with Brussels.
“This is our 13th meeting. That is a rarity. Practically all those who were my colleagues in the EU are no longer,” Orban said, sitting opposite Putin in the Kremlin.
Orban said he has no plans to leave power and that he expected to win an election in April, which is setting up to be his toughest contest since taking office.
“I have high hopes that for many years to come we can work together,” he said.
Although he did not mention Ukraine by name, Orban also claimed to be on a “peace mission.”
“I would like to assure you that no EU leader wants war or conflict. We are ready for a rational agreement,” he said.
Putin thanked Orban for “doing a lot” for the Russian-Hungarian relationship and said the pair will discuss the security situation in Europe.
“I would like to reach the goal of increasing the volume of suppliers in the course of our meeting today,” Orban told Putin at the onset of talks.
Orban’s visit was expected to sit uncomfortably with Hungary’s allies in the European Union, most notably Poland.
Warsaw has presented a united front with Budapest against Brussels on issues like the rule of law but resents Orban’s ties with Putin.
Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki visited Kyiv on Tuesday for talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, who is backed by the West.
Hungarian Defence Minister Tibor Benko said in an interview Tuesday morning that leaders should shy away from “Cold War rhetoric.”
“There’s no need for 1,000 NATO soldiers to come to Hungary and be stationed here permanently,” he told public media, adding: “no one wants to create a situation where people are afraid and worried by showing off their forces”.
Biden has announced plans to send U.S. troops to NATO countries in eastern Europe, though not to Ukraine itself, which is not a member of the transatlantic alliance.
Look at that table! dumbshit tax donkeys paid for,,, the curtains, flooring,,, Who said crime doesn’t pay!
poor dumb !!!
looks like from the times of the czar
It’s pretty.
Ohhh.. Come on Ken .. Have a very good look . It’s all coming from IKEA , curtains, flooring, table, chairs ?? Can’t you see it ??
https://avia-pro.net/news/pentagon-zayavil-o-gotovnosti-napravit-na-ukrainu-svoi-voyska-iz-vostochnoy-evropy
And now we know where those “extra” troops not attached to NATO are going to be…
Those are the “extra troops” ??
https://media.defense.gov/2014/Jun/06/2000842607/-1/-1/0/140602-F-QE361-013.JPG
Lord, help us.
Russia is in the right US broke every agreement not to move NATO to Russian border. If we move missiles into Ukraine
Russia has every right to attack. CIA overthrew the legitimate Ukraine government in 2014 replaced with Neo-Nazi Russia haters.
How would US respond if Russia put troops and missiles on Canada and Mexican border? Remember Cuba they put missiles there because US put missiles in Turkey. US military corporate complex has bern the aggressor.
Wasn’t the Trojan Horse Obama involved in overthrowing the legitimate Ukraine government?
I like Viktor Orban. He is intelligent and principled.
FEW in America give a shite what Russia is doing in Ukraine when we’re walking past dead homeless people in the streets of San Francisco New York, etc… or hearing about children shot in crime ridden cities like Chicago. Or watching child predators get away with crimes. Or our nurses being persecuted for not being vaccinated. Or our police defunded. And our borders broken. Illegal aliens sex trafficking young girls while US does NOTHING. Or paying 5 bucks a gallon for gas. FU morons. What a JOKE the USA has become under Biden! Weak. Weak. Weak. US has gotten WEAKER UNDER BIDEN AND HARRIS. THEY ARE A JOKE. Meanwhile COMPROMISED CIA backed propaganda media channels like CNN and MSNBC IGNORE 1400 plus TERRORISTS and cartel drug dealers and mules bringing fentanyl daily coming over our US borders. IDIOTS! It’s none of the USA’s business what Russia does. Russia, by the way, helped the US WIN WW2, did you forget that you idiots? You’d be speaking German right now under Nazis if RUSSIA didn’t help the USA in WW2. Fools. And while you illogically hate Russia you ignore CHINA persecuting Christians and minorities. Killing them? Brining us Covid? You FOOLS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Russia is just a distraction from your own evil done within US government. You are evil to the core. Russia is none of the USA’s business especially when the USA can’t even protect it’s own borders or it’s own people dying in the streets. USA should take care of their own SERIOUS problems before pretending to care about another country. Fake fools.