Photo: Global Look Press
Prime Minister of Hungary Viktor Orban participated in an international conference held in Panama via video link – his press service informed about this and a number of theses were published. One of them concerned the situation in Ukraine.
According to the Hungarian edition of 24.hu, referring to Orbán's press service, the prime minister told his partners that Europe is currently facing several challenges – military operations in Ukraine and the related economic crisis, as well as migration.
“Europe is united in its goals,” the quote reads. “And most importantly, Russia should not pose a threat to European security, and that is why we need a sovereign Ukraine.”
At the same time, he noted that on the way to achieving this goal, the views of European countries on tools, including sanctions, differ . The discussion will continue, Orbán added.
Previously, Hungarian authorities have been extremely cautious about the possibility of increasing pressure on Russia in the context of the Ukraine crisis. Orbán himself has been repeatedly called a “pro-Russian politician” in the Western press. In particular, Orbán has stated that “sanctions are a step towards war” between the EU and Russia, criticized German Chancellor Olaf Scholz for helping Berlin to Kiev and expressed displeasure with plans to cut gas purchases from Russia.One of the latest scandals involving Orbán was his image wearing a headscarf depicting the territory of Hungary before the First World War, which outraged Ukraine.