Orbán sees no possibility for resolving Ukrainian-Hungarian relationship as long as war continues

The organization that has been created "is currently focused on Gaza, but I would be surprised if, at the second or third meeting, the discussion did not turn to dealing with another flashpoint," Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said at a press conference held after the inaugural meeting of the Board of Peace on Thursday evening in Washington.

The Board of Peace was established by US President Donald Trump in Davos, Switzerland, in January, originally for the purpose of resolving the Gaza conflict and overseeing the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip, but its objectives have since expanded to include the broader management of global conflicts. The organization's inaugural meeting was held on Thursday in Washington. Hungary participated in the meeting as a founding member, with Prime Minister Viktor Orbán also speaking at the event.

Donald Trump had previously indicated that members of his Board of Peace would pledge $5 billion for the reconstruction of war-torn Gaza, in addition to providing thousands of workers for the area's international stabilization and police forces. On Thursday, Viktor Orbán said that Hungary has not yet made any financial pledges regarding Gaza. He explained this by citing the financial sanctions imposed on Hungary by the European Union and the fact that any further steps must wait until the Hungarian parliament ratifies the founding charter of the Board of Peace.

At the press conference held for the pro-government media, the Prime Minister said that for the time being, the Board of Peace was not in a position to deal with the Russian-Ukrainian crisis and would first address the situation in Gaza. In his opinion, the United States' efforts should be trusted in relation to the Russian-Ukrainian situation. He said that the situation in Gaza must first be resolved before the Board of Peace can turn its attention to another conflict, but according to Orbán, the next conflict that the Board of Peace will deal with is not the one in Ukraine, because it cannot be handled “within this framework.”

Orbán: Ukrainians are taking openly hostile steps against us

On the subject of Ukraine, Viktor Orbán also said that the reason why "Russian-Ukrainian relations are so heated now is because, according to the Ukrainians, anyone who does not support them is an enemy." In his opinion, this is why Ukrainians are taking openly hostile steps against Hungary. According to the Prime Minister, the key to resolving Ukrainian-Hungarian relations is peace, because after the war, diplomatic and economic relations can return to normal.

"As long as the war continues, I see no possibility for resolving the relationship. This is because we are on the side of peace, while Ukraine wants to drag everyone into the war," he said.

According to Orbán, Ukrainians are openly interfering in the Hungarian elections in order to bring a "pro-Ukrainian government" to power. He believes that Ukraine wants to cause chaos in Hungary's energy supply, which is why his government has decided that Hungary will not supply diesel to Ukraine until the Ukrainians restart oil deliveries via the Druzhba pipeline. He added that he does not want to resort to threats, but a significant portion of Ukraine's electricity supply also arrives in the country via Hungary.

On the subject of Trump's potential visit to Budapest, he said that the US president's schedule is very busy and they are still looking for a solution that would allow him to come to Hungary. "He will definitely provide some kind of support, because that's customary, Orbán said, but they have not yet been able to settle the question of whether Trump will come to Hungary in the near future or not.

Orbán also spoke about his fear that "the Americans will suddenly pack up and go home" from the Russian-Ukrainian peace talks, because, in his opinion, it is obvious that while Donald Trump is constantly trying to reach an agreement, "the Europeans are obstructing him at every turn" by "making new promises of military support to the Ukrainians." He, however, urged the American president "not to give up.

Orbán said that he has learned from "reliable sources" that an agreement "about the creation of a Brussels-Kyiv-Tisza Party axis" was made at the Munich Security Conference, according to which if there is a new government in Hungary, it will support Ukraine in continuing the war, it will support Ukraine's EU membership, and will give up Hungary's right to veto.

There are no undecided voters

On the subject of the upcoming Hungarian parliamentary elections, Orbán said that those who claim that support coming from Donald Trump and Marco Rubio (the US Secretary of State who recently visited Budapest) constitutes interference in the elections should not be taken seriously. "Of course, anyone who supports us will be attacked by the opposition in terms of credibility, but I don't think I should be ashamed, because we do exactly the same thing in the opposite situation."

"We also consider it unprecedented interference when, for example, the German chancellor, while speaking at the Munich conference, openly says things like "after the April elections – you know what I mean – with the new government..." According to Orbán, the stakes of the Hungarian elections are significant even beyond the country's borders, which is why those who stand to be affected in some way are trying to exert influence on the Hungarian elections.

Referring to the recent results of opinion polls, he said,

"I think everyone knows who they are going to vote for, it's just not time to think about it yet."

"I don't see uncertain Hungarians, I feel that Hungarians know what they want, they just need to be reached." Which is why, in his opinion, mobilization will play a prominent role in the campaign. "This will be a real mobilization contest," he said.

He believes that participation in the Board of Peace will also play a role in this battle, because we are living in times of war, and security is paramount in such times. This requires two things: "connections and experience, and there’s no doubt that we have much more of both in our camp."

Upon his return to Hungary on Friday morning, Viktor Orbán attended the ceremony for the laying of the foundation stone for the new, 3rd terminal at Liszt Ferenc International Airport. There, he said that a war in the neighborhood "is not something that attracts tourists," so everyone should think about how they will continue their lives after April 12. "This flight will be departing from Budapest and there will be no need for a layover in Brussels," he concluded.