Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has voiced his opposition to NATO proposals that would allow Ukraine to use Western weapons to strike targets within Russia. Orbán expressed concerns that such plans could lead Europe closer to destruction.
Orbán, a nationalist leader, has been against Western countries supplying military aid to Ukraine. He has even threatened to disrupt European Union financial support to Kyiv and the passing of sanctions against Moscow. Despite Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Orbán has maintained close ties with Russian President Vladimir Putin and increased energy deals with Moscow.
During a recent interview on state radio, Orbán criticized French President Emmanuel Macron's openness to sending troops to Ukraine and a NATO proposal that would permit Kyiv to strike Russian military bases with Western-supplied long-range weapons. Orbán warned that such actions could escalate the conflict in Ukraine into a global war.
Orbán, who is currently campaigning for the European Parliament election in Hungary, has framed the election as a choice between war and peace. He has positioned his party as advocating for an immediate end to the fighting in Ukraine. However, critics argue that Orbán's stance could result in capitulation to Moscow, potentially allowing Russia to retain occupied territories in Ukraine.
The issue of whether Ukraine should be allowed to target Russian soil with Western-supplied weaponry has been a contentious topic since Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022. Western leaders have been cautious about taking such actions due to fears of provoking Putin, who has warned of the risk of nuclear conflict if the West directly intervenes.
Recent developments have shown that Ukrainian forces have faced challenges due to shortages in troops and ammunition, exacerbated by delays in U.S. military aid and slow military production in Western Europe. These factors have hindered crucial deliveries to the battlefield, allowing the Kremlin's forces to exploit Ukrainian vulnerabilities.
