Hungary is “on the side of peace” and will support any peace plan, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said in Bled on Thursday, adding that “we do not know which [plan] will succeed, but unless we take the first step we will never achieve peace.”
Speaking to journalists on the sidelines of a meeting of leaders of the Centrist Democrat International, Orbán said some saw an opportunity for a militarist settlement of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, while others saw no such opportunity and called for a ceasefire and peace talks.
“The real nature of the conflict has not yet been revealed; some consider it a proxy war, and others talk about a real war between the parties,” Orbán said. Hungary will support all initiatives as nobody knows which peace plan will turn out to be successful, he added.
It is not known which peace plan has a chance of succeeding, so Hungary backs all initiatives and is prepared to aid the process either as a mediator or as a venue for ceasefire negotiations, he said.
Orbán said Hungary’s stake in the war set it apart from countries in the region given the Hungarian minority living there and the Hungarian lives sacrificed, a “personal national loss” for Ukraine and Hungary alike.
Explaining why Hungary has blocked further payments from the European Peace Framework fund, Orbán said the funds had been designated for European security, not for the war in Ukraine, with a view to boosting security throughout Europe. Most of the funds are being used to support Ukraine, he said, adding that Hungary wants to clarify whether the fund serves its original purpose or whether it is being channelled to supporting Ukraine.
The Centrist Democrat International’s meeting is being held under the motto “Security, Justice, Peace”, and Orbán is participating as one of its vice-presidents.
