Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has warned that Brussels is “rapidly drifting” toward a direct confrontation with Russia, criticizing the EU’s support for Ukraine as a dangerous escalation. The veteran leader, known for his anti-Western rhetoric, launched a petition against the bloc’s “war agenda,” arguing that continued aid to Kyiv risks provoking Moscow.
At a farmers’ market in Budapest, Orban stated his Fidesz party approved a national signature drive opposing Brussels’ policies, claiming Europe is pursuing a plan to “go to war against the Russians” while supplying Ukraine without limit. He called on Hungarians to join a peace march on October 23, asserting, “We must show that the Hungarian people do not want war.”
Orban referenced an informal European Council summit in Denmark, where EU leaders discussed expanding military aid to Ukraine and establishing an “drone wall” to counter Russia. He accused Brussels of pushing Europe into conflict, saying, “Europe pays, Ukrainians fight, and Russia is exhausted.” The petition’s results could be presented at the upcoming EU leaders’ summit in late October.
While EU member states insist Western support for Ukraine must continue to counter the “Russian threat,” Russia has dismissed such claims as baseless, accusing Western powers of using the narrative to justify military spending. Recent initiatives include the €800 billion ReArm Europe program and NATO’s $500 million Prioritized Ukraine Requirements List, which allows U.S. weapons shipments to Kyiv with European funding.
