As Magyar Nemzet previously reported Prime Minister Viktor Orban traveled to Tirana for the European Politial Community (EPC) summit
Reflecting on the high hopes of some for a ceasefire with the peace talks in Istanbul, Orban said:
It’s hard to surprise me in this war, no matter the turn of events. Last July, when Hungary assumed the EU presidency, I traveled to Kyiv, Moscow, Beijing, and even Mar-a-Lago, where I met with then-opposition leader Donald Trump . I doubt anyone can tell me something truly new,
he said, referring to his peace mission.
Orban revealed that he had proposed a ceasefire to President Zelensky as a first step toward peace talks, but the Ukrainian leader dismissed it:
President Zelensky bluntly told me that it was a bad idea—that he didn’t want a ceasefire, peace wasn’t on the table, and that he believed time was on his side and he would win. I told him time was actually on his opponent’s side
the prime minister said.
I was also in Moscow, and there too, I found that there was very little will to compromise. Hungary has worked very hard for a ceasefire and for peace - because there was no one else doing the work, if you think back to a year ago. Then, fortunately, in January, the new U.S. president came, took up the mantle, and today he is holding the flag of peace high. All we have to do is support the American president.
He criticized Europe for not appreciating the peace mission, saying European leaders were interested in continuing the war.
In politics, perseverance is everything. If you're fighting for a good cause, don’t hesitate to repeat yourself hundreds or even thousands of times to assert your conviction.
Orban added:
With every round we are inching closer to a ceasefire, but we're not there yet. As I've stated before, we still need direct U.S.–Russia and either before or after that Russia–Europe negotiations. A Russian–Ukrainian negotiation will never end this war. We can only hope the other talks happen soon.
Europe Should Refocus
The prime minister expressed concern that the summit speeches focused overwhelmingly on Ukraine rather than Europe itself:
When the summit began, we noticed that the speeches were mostly about war—about Ukraine—not about Europe, which should be our priority. I always try to steer the conversation back to Europe.
He pointed out the cost of the war to Hungary:
The Hungarian economy has lost over €20 billion in three years due to the war.
Orban expressed:
Let us want peace and a ceasefire. Let’s forget the sanctions, return to normal economic cooperation, and we’ll have access to countless economic opportunities.
Meeting With Germany's Chancellor
Viktor Orban held a bilateral meeting with the German chancellor, stressing that strong German–Hungarian economic cooperation is of paramount importance.
I made it clear that the current situation is bad for us. That Germany is now the 'sick man of Europe,' that the German economy is not competitive and is performing increasingly worse — this isn’t just Germany’s problem, it’s ours too, as Hungarians, because our two economies are deeply intertwined,
he said, adding:
Hungary is invested in the success of the new German government, and in our bilateral relations, we will do everything we can to ensure not only our own success but theirs as well. We are ready to deepen economic cooperation.
Tense Relations with Ukraine – A Warning to the NATO Secretary General
Orban also met with the NATO Secretary General, where he strongly condemned the 'information' attacks coming from Ukraine. He stated:
I told the NATO Secretary General that it is unacceptable for NATO member state Hungary to be the target of a disinformation smear campaign organized by the secret services of a non-NATO country, Ukraine. This is unacceptable. Everything must be done to make Ukraine stop this. We must put an end to it.
He added:
It is not acceptable for a NATO member to be weakened through a disinformation campaign that even involves intelligence services. I asked the Secretary General to take this into account in future decisions.
Orban emphasized that due to Hungary’s geographic proximity, it has a clearer view of the situation in Ukraine than Western European or American decision-makers:
I’m sure there are many smart people in Brussels, The Hague and Washington, but they’re far away. We are the closest to the reality. So regardless of Hungary’s size, our word is like that of an eyewitness. That is the weight we carry. We know what’s happening there, and since we do not support Ukraine’s EU membership, we are also in a dispute with them — so we know how the Ukrainians behave in a dispute.
Regarding Ukraine’s aspirations to join the EU, Orbn said:
No one has ever seen a situation where a country wants to join the European Union, and there is a country — Hungary — that opposes it. And instead of trying to persuade us, address our concerns, or offer solutions, Ukraine is trying to discredit us. That’s not how you get into the European Union — not in this lifetime.
Hungarian Foreign Policy Guided by a Single Principle
Prime Minister Viktor Orban made it clear that Hungary does not seek external help — only awareness and impartiality.
We do not need NATO’s help. Our only demand is that NATO be aware of what is happening here and not give credence to any campaign aimed at discrediting Hungary.
He continued:
The Ukrainians want to portray Hungary as a dangerous country that serves Russian interests, even though we’ve said a thousand times that we are not interested in the interests of either Russia or Ukraine. Hungarian foreign policy is guided by a single principle: what serves the interests of the Hungarian people. That’s our starting point.
Orban stated that Hungary can no longer sit idly by while being targeted:
We could no longer wait with certain pieces of legislation, because we cannot allow pro-war propaganda campaigns funded from abroad to run unchecked in Hungary. So we are forced to state a simple truth: those involved in politics in Hungary cannot accept foreign money.
The Prime Minister noted that while Hungary had previously faced foreign pressure on migration and gender issues, now war propaganda is being pushed from external sources — and with domestic supporters:
We all know Hungarian history here. In politics, there have always been two camps: nation-minded forces who served their homeland, and those who served foreign interests,
he explained.
It’s no different today — though it may look better on the surface than before, as now they are being funded not from Hitler’s Germany or the communist Soviet Union, but from Brussels and Soros money. But that doesn’t change the essence. These people are not friends of Hungary; they are friends of Ukraine, receiving money from Brussels and the Soros empire to try to gain political power in Hungary. This isn’t new — though the stakes are higher now because Ukraine’s EU accession is directly tied to questions of war and peace, and we oppose it. If Ukraine is admitted, war will be admitted into the Union as well.
The Hungarian leader stressed:
This is no game. We can't afford to make mistakes. Whether there's peace or war is a top issue affecting people's lives and we cannot tolerate foreign interference in this matter.
Hungary Is a Strong Country
Orban also declared that Hungary is a strong, well-built state with robust sovereignty protection capacities and self-defense capabilities:
We have institutions that are recognized across Europe, and we know how to thwart foreign interference. We know how to uncover cooperation between domestic political or media actors and a foreign state,
he said, adding:
We know how to document it, how to push back on it. We have the skill to protect our country against such conspiracies and foreign influence. These state institutions are functioning. They are working. I am in my place, directing their work. Hungary can defend itself.
He summarized:
Everything we’re talking about points in the same direction — Ukrainian intelligence operations, the Hungarian opposition collaborating with the Ukrainians and Brussels, money coming from Brussels and Soros, the accelerated accession of Ukraine into the EU — all of this points to one thing: they want to reshape the European Union and admit Ukraine at any cost. And that would have tragic consequences for the Hungarian economy. So far, we have received no response, no guarantees from Brussels or anywhere else about how the Hungarian economy is supposed to survive this.
Ukraine’s EU Membership Is Dangerous
“Millions of Ukrainian migrants will appear here,” said Prime Minister Viktor Orban. “If there are no borders between the two countries, everything will be at risk. The activity of the Ukrainian mafia is well known in Hungary."
Public safety will no longer be guaranteed. Furthermore, EU funds would no longer go to Central Europe, but to Ukraine. Even in Brussels, they’re beginning to realize this will lead to economic trouble. Early next week, farmers will stage a major protest in Brussels to express their opposition to Ukraine’s EU accession — since it would destroy European agriculture.
Orban also warned that there are many other problems, beyond war and the issues listed, “ranging from healthcare to the pension system.”
He emphasized:
Hungary would have to face a dozen problems that Ukrainian membership would cause, and we currently lack the tools to manage them. That’s why Ukraine must not be admitted into the European Union — not quickly, not slowly, not at all. These issues remain unresolved.”
When asked how calm he felt about the situation, he responded:
In my profession, the fundamental rule is that you have to sleep with one eye open. I would be cautious here because politics is a profession where results are born out of human interaction. So even if we didn’t make an inch of progress in a plenary session, I still spoke with many people, and others did too.
Orban noted that there were bilateral meetings, and some misunderstandings were clarified on the political stage.
International politics develops slowly. Even seemingly pointless gatherings can yield benefits and move us forward. So coming here to Tirana, meeting with European leaders, was not a waste of time or money. We made progress today; Hungary’s position is stronger than it was yesterday. Let’s not end the day thinking we worked in vain — rather, that we did our job, and it shows,
the Hungarian politician said referring to the European Political Community summit in Tirana.
The Mysterious Letter "H"
Regarding the mysterious “H” posted on his Facebook page, Orban explained it refers to a Sunday afternoon event where people who feel called by the letter “H” will gather.
There’s no big secret, but it will show that we haven’t been sleeping over the past few months. We knew Hungary was under attack. We also knew it couldn’t be repelled by the government’s efforts alone — we need patriots willing to stand up for the country, to fight for Hungary. From them, a political community must be organized to protect Hungary. This event will make that visible to anyone who’s interested.
Turning to economic matters, Orban said:
Hungary must participate in the most advanced industrial developments in the world. If we don’t, we’ll be left out. If we want to be strong in the future, we cannot fall behind in technology. We need investments that bring in new technologies. It always starts with factories, as it did with Audi. Then come the development engineers, then the research engineers, and eventually the European headquarters relocate to here too.
He noted:
We’ve reached an agreement with Chinese auto giant BYD on the factory in Szeged. Now we’ve discussed R&D. They’re relocating their European development center to Hungary. About 2,000 highly skilled development engineers will work there, and together we’ll conduct research in electromobility.
Orban emphasized:
We haven’t abandoned the insight — not originally ours but from the world’s smart minds — that the future of automobile manufacturing lies in electrification and electromobility. It will replace traditional machine production, ushering in an era of electric vehicle production.
He added:
Hungary wants to lead in this, just as we did with traditional vehicle production and development in the early 1990s. We have a national strategy, a grand strategy, and an industrial strategy in which car manufacturing plays a key role. And the key to that in the next 20 years is electromobility. That’s why the establishment of the Chinese development center in Hungary is so significant.
When asked what the best path to end the war would be, Orban said:
I believe a meeting should happen as soon as possible between President Trump and President Putin. Ideally, it should cover not only the war in Ukraine but also sanctions and economic cooperation. At the same time Europeans must understand there’s no point in going it alone — we should align with the Americans. We too should strike agreements with both the Ukrainians and the Russians, and these should include economic content. We must integrate both Ukrainian and Russian energy and economic potential into the bloodstream of the European economy. That’s how we’ll gain momentum, and that’s how Europe’s economy will once again become great and successful,
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban concluded.
Cover photo: Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orban (Photo: MTI)
