PM Orban: Hungary Does Not Want War — and Will Not Go to War

Hungary's experience in World Wars is precisely why it does not want to and will not go to war, Prime Minister Viktor Orban declared early Friday morning in Brussels, following the one-day EU summit.

Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orban (right) at the summit of EU heads of state and government in Brussels on October 23, 2025. Next to him is Janos Boka, Minister for European Union Affairs (Photo: MTI/Prime Minister's Office Communications Department/Akos Kaiser)

The Hungarian leader stressed that Budapest refuses to be drawn into the Russia–Ukraine war. “We advise the Ukrainians to seek a peace negotiation instead. That is where we can help,” PM Orban said. “We will not send troops, we will not send weapons, we will not send money — but we are ready to help broker peace.”

Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orban (center) arrives at the summit of EU heads of state and government in Brussels on October 23, 2025. (Photo: MTI/Prime Minister's Office/Akos Kaiser)

PM Orban underscored that if the European Union does not want to be left out of decisions about Europe’s future, it must have a seat at the negotiating table — not by inviting itself to the talks of others, but by launching its own diplomatic initiatives and peace efforts.

He confirmed that the Budapest Peace Summit remains on the agenda. "The United States and the Russians are already talking. They can reach an agreement at any time, and once that happens, a peace conference could come together quickly. Hungary is on standby,” PM Orban noted.

Brüsszeli sajtótájékoztató

Brüsszeli sajtótájékoztató

Posted by Orbán Viktor on Thursday, October 23, 2025

The Prime Minister said Europe should not merely wait for U.S.–Russia talks, but instead take the initiative itself and begin direct negotiations with Moscow.

We should do exactly what the American President is doing — mirror what he is doing,

he emphasized.

Viktor Orban warned that he does not want Hungary to belong to an alliance that admits a member living under constant threat of war — one that could drag the entire bloc into conflict at any moment. 

“The Russia–Ukraine war is not our war,” PM Orban said firmly. “If Ukraine joins the EU, that war becomes our war — and that is something we do not want.” He further argued that Ukraine’s current economic state would drain Europe’s resources, diverting vital development funds away from EU member states — including Hungary. “Ukraine’s condition would absorb and siphon off the money that Europe needs for its own growth,” he warned.

For that reason, PM Orban stated unequivocally that Hungary will not support opening EU membership talks with Ukraine, nor any financial mechanisms that would transfer Hungarian or European taxpayers’ money to Kyiv.

Regarding the European Council’s statement on Ukraine, PM Orban confirmed:

Hungary is not in a position to support the adopted text.

Hungary is not a part of the 26-member compromise.”

On the EU proposal to use the interest income from frozen Russian assets to fund Ukraine, Orban issued a stark warning:

“If the EU ever touches funds of a non-EU state held in European banks — and does so on political orders and potentially going against international law — it will destroy investor confidence. That entire European business sector would collapse overnight.”

He revealed that he had exchanged letters this week with Russian President Vladimir Putin, who made it clear that Moscow would respond with countermeasures to any such EU move. “That means company assets held in Russia could be at risk,” PM Orban said. “Many major Hungarian firms have significant investments there. I cannot — and will not — put those at risk.”

The Prime Minister stressed that Europe’s financial credibility is at stake, noting that 

the EU should be protecting this sector, not undermining, its own competitiveness. Europe wants the euro to catch up with the dollar — and one day possibly even surpass it as the dominant currency. Killing the financial industry won’t help achieve that.

On the 19th sanctions package adopted Thursday against Russia, PM Orban said: “We took out everything that would have harmed Hungary. The package continues Brussels’ failed sanctions policy, but it does not affect us negatively,” he stressed.

He estimated that the Hungarian economy has already lost between €20 and €30 billion as a result of the war and EU sanctions. “Every Hungarian family, every small and medium-sized business has a direct interest in peace."

 We need the money to stay in Europe — not flow to Ukraine — and the sanctions to stop strangling our economies,” PM Orban said.

Turning to migration, the Prime Minister issued another warning: the EU plans to implement its Migration and Asylum Pact by late 2026 or early 2027. “This migration pact is a deadly threat to Hungary,” he declared.

We are currently the only migrant-free country in Europe.

PM Orban explained that under the pact, Hungary would be forced to build facilities to host 30,000 migrants and accept whatever distribution quotas the European Commission decides, in times of “migration emergency.” “Not Hungary, not the Hungarian people, but Brussels would decide who comes here,” he cautioned.

The Prime Minister was resolute:

Hungary categorically rejects the migration pact.

"We will not implement it now or later. Yes, we’ll pay the fine if we must. But that is still better than having tens of thousands of migrants forced upon us.”