Hungary’s PM: Russia too weak to attack NATO, peace depends on US Photo

Russia is too weak to attack NATO, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said in a recent interview with French television channel LCI.

"They cannot even defeat Ukraine, so they are incapable of attacking NATO," he stated, arguing that Moscow lacks the capacity to pose a global military threat, Caliber.Az reports.

Orbán called for immediate efforts to establish peace in Ukraine, beginning with a ceasefire and followed by direct negotiations between the United States and Russia.

According to him, only such steps can deliver lasting security guarantees for Europe. “The goal is not to seek out enemies, but to establish peace,” he said.

He insisted that Ukraine cannot be envisioned as a member of either the European Union or NATO.

Ukraine is unsuitable to be a member of NATO or the European Union, he stated, explaining that the traditional sequence of eastern enlargement, where countries were first admitted to NATO for military security, cannot apply to Ukraine. 

“But in Ukraine’s case, that’s impossible. It would mean direct and immediate war with Russia,” he warned.

Orbán also addressed broader geopolitical considerations, noting that history informs Hungary's more cautious approach to Russia.

“The Russians invaded us four times over the past 150 years—once they stayed for 45 years. You can’t imagine how horrible it was,” he said.

He emphasised that Hungary’s perspective is rooted in Central European experience, not the political culture of Western Europe.

Throughout the interview, Orbán reaffirmed his stance on the importance of national sovereignty within the European Union, arguing that Brussels has become increasingly centralised and unresponsive to the will of its member states.

“We cannot leave Europe, because we are Europe,” he declared, adding that Hungary’s ongoing “freedom fight” in Brussels is about preserving the autonomy of nations. 

“I was and remain a street freedom fighter. Today, our freedom is threatened by Brussels, and we must fight back against that,” he said.

The Hungarian prime minister had travelled to France to attend the Patriots’ rally, where he also expressed support for Marine Le Pen, leader of France’s National Rally. “Marine Le Pen is my only ally in France. If the National Rally’s candidate wins in 2027, I’ll celebrate with champagne,” Orbán said.

He praised Le Pen for defending national sovereignty and suggested she would prioritise a budget that focuses not on war and bureaucracy, but on the future.

He was critical of French President Emmanuel Macron, with whom he said he has fundamental disagreements over the direction of Europe. “When it comes to the future of Europe, we disagree,” Orbán said, describing Macron’s progressive and liberal vision as “extremely harmful.”

Closing the interview, Orbán asserted that the preservation of nation-state sovereignty is the most pressing issue for Europe today.

By Aghakazim Guliyev