Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán warned that the war in Ukraine could become “Afghanistan” for the European Union—a protracted, costly conflict with “no exit.”
Orbán made these remarks during an interview with former Fox News host Tucker Carlson at an event in Dubai on February 14.
Discussing the EU’s financial support for Ukraine in its fight against Russia’s invasion, Orbán highlighted the hundreds of billions of euros the EU has already spent.
“If President [Donald] Trump is not able to find a solution, that war could become easily an Afghanistan for the European Union,” Orbán stated.
The Hungarian leader referred to the situation as an “endless war, endless conflict, no way out of the conflict, eating up energy, human lives, money, everything.” He warned that it was “destroying the framework of normal life for the European Union” and posed “serious danger.”
Orbán also addressed accusations of his alleged support for Russian President Vladimir Putin, saying, “I am not pro-Putin; I am pro-Hungarian.” He emphasized that the challenge lies in convincing Russia to end the war while they appear to be winning.
He also expressed doubt about the sustainability of Western support for Ukraine: “My heart is with the Ukrainians, but they are in big, big, big trouble,” Orbán concluded.
