Orban declares Ukraine 'enemy' of Hungary

[ad_1] Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban declared Ukraine an "enemy" of Hungary throughout a speech at a rally on Feb. 7, the impartial regional outlet Index reported.

Orban, broadly seen because the Kremlin's closest ally within the European Union, has repeatedly lashed out at Kyiv and Brussels all through Russia's full-scale struggle towards Ukraine.

Talking at a rally within the Hungarian metropolis Szombathely on Feb. 7, Orban criticized Ukraine for demanding that the EU halt imports of low-cost Russian vitality.

"Anybody who says that is an enemy of Hungary, so Ukraine is our enemy," he mentioned.

His remarks come shortly after the Council of the EU authorised plans to ban Russian gas purchases by 2027. Hungary and Slovakia — each Moscow-friendly nations that stay closely reliant on Russian gasoline — have challenged the choice within the European Court docket of Justice .

Orban additionally railed towards Ukraine's EU aspirations, insisting once more that whereas Hungary ought to cooperate with Ukraine as its neighbor, Kyiv ought to by no means be granted membership within the EU.

"Hungarians shouldn't need navy or financial cooperation with Ukrainians, as a result of they're dragging us into struggle," he mentioned.

Orban additionally introduced that he would go to Washington, D.C. for the inaugural assembly of U.S. President Donald Trump's "Board of Peace."

Whereas the EU phased out most Russian oil imports and decreased purchases of Russian gasoline by 75% between 2021 and 2025 , it stays Moscow's leading buyer of each pipeline gasoline and liquified pure gasoline (LNG).

Hungary has lengthy pushed again towards broader EU efforts to chop dependence on Russian vitality, wielding its veto energy to dam sanctions towards Moscow and withhold assist to Ukraine. The latest transfer to ban Russian vitality imports was launched as a commerce coverage choice somewhat than a sanctions measure, permitting it to cross with a certified majority regardless of opposition from Hungary and Slovakia.

Orban's newest inflammatory remarks come two months forward of Hungary's parliamentary elections in April. Whereas polls present Orban to be trailing opposition chief Peter Magyar , Orban dismissed these numbers as "propaganda" initially of his speech.