“Russia hasn’t been able to do it for three years”Orban dismissed concerns about a Russian attack on NATO territory as “ridiculous”.
The EU’s military power is “much stronger” than the Russian army, Orban said. Merz is “for war,” complained the Hungarian Prime Minister and praised former Chancellor Merkel – although she “even shouted at him sometimes” at EU meetings.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban described fears of a Russian attack on the EU and NATO as “ridiculous”. “With all due respect, I think it is ridiculous to say that Russia will attack the EU or NATO just because they are not strong enough,” Orban said in the “MD Meeting” podcast by Axel Springer CEO Mathias Döpfner. “We are much stronger,” Orban believes.
To justify this, the right-wing populist stated that the European Union has a population of 400 million, while Russia only has around 140 million. The military capacity of the 27 EU countries is also much larger than Russia’s. “Russia has failed to fully occupy Ukraine for more than three years. How can we in Europe claim that we are weaker than Russia?”
At the same time, Orban, who is close to Kremlin boss Vladimir Putin, warned of Russia’s military defeat in Ukraine. “If a nuclear power country loses a conventional war, then I am absolutely sure (…) that nuclear risks are imminent,” said the head of Hungary’s right-wing national party, Fidesz. The Kremlin has repeatedly threatened to use a nuclear bomb since its war of aggression against Ukraine began nearly four years ago.
Orban: “I am ready to help the German Chancellor”
Orban criticized Chancellor Friedrich Merz. “I am ready to help the German Chancellor if I can to bring about peace – but he supports war,” Orban said in a podcast. This also applies in the EU. Time “has been more beneficial to Russia than it has been to us.”
In contrast, Orban praised former Chancellor Angela Merkel’s policies regarding Russia: “There was a meeting in the European Council where only she and I proposed peace and cooperation,” Orban said. At the same time, he pointed out that they have never agreed on issues such as migration or the environment. “He sometimes even yells at me – and that’s not nice – more often than my wife,” Orban said.
