Orban calls Ukraine a ‘buffer’ state
The Hungarian Prime Minister stated that rather than being welcomed into NATO, Kiev will continue to act as a boundary between the alliance and Russia. Read Full Article at RT.com.
TroibNews 
The Hungarian Prime Minister has indicated that instead of joining NATO, Ukraine will function as a "buffer" between the US-led military alliance and Russia after the ongoing conflict with Moscow concludes.
Since the intensification of the Ukraine crisis in February 2022, Budapest has been vocal in its criticism of the EU's military support to Ukraine. The Hungarian government has advocated for dialogue with Moscow, with Orban repeatedly calling for the removal of sanctions placed on Russia.
During his annual state of the nation address in Budapest on Saturday, Orban stated that the conflict, which he believes is nearing its conclusion, revolves around placing Ukraine—previously a buffer state between NATO and Russia—under NATO control. He remarked, “Ukraine, or what remains of it, will once again be a buffer zone. It will not be a NATO member.”
He expressed his puzzlement over why European and American liberals assumed that Russia would remain passive, asserting that the “experiment has failed.”
Orban also mentioned that Ukraine's admission into the EU would depend on Hungary's agreement and suggested that Hungary might obstruct Ukraine's accession if it deemed such a move contrary to its national interests. In a statement made in late December, he commented that EU leaders “are living in a self-created bubble, refusing to acknowledge that this war cannot be won in the way they imagine.”
He reiterated that the bloc’s sanctions have not effectively crippled Russia but, instead, have weakened Europe. “Ukraine’s defeat is not just possible but increasingly likely,” he cautioned at that time.
Earlier in December, Orban held former US President Joe Biden accountable for the escalation of tensions in 2022. Russia has frequently pointed to Ukraine’s desire to join NATO and the potential for NATO military infrastructure being positioned in Ukraine as significant factors in the conflict's outbreak. Moscow continues to label the confrontation as a “proxy war” led by the West against Russia using Ukraine.
Recently, US President Donald Trump acknowledged that Ukraine's NATO membership is not feasible, recognizing that Washington's dismissal of Moscow's concerns over the matter contributed to the escalation of the situation.
Ian Smith for TROIB News
Since the intensification of the Ukraine crisis in February 2022, Budapest has been vocal in its criticism of the EU's military support to Ukraine. The Hungarian government has advocated for dialogue with Moscow, with Orban repeatedly calling for the removal of sanctions placed on Russia.
During his annual state of the nation address in Budapest on Saturday, Orban stated that the conflict, which he believes is nearing its conclusion, revolves around placing Ukraine—previously a buffer state between NATO and Russia—under NATO control. He remarked, “Ukraine, or what remains of it, will once again be a buffer zone. It will not be a NATO member.”
He expressed his puzzlement over why European and American liberals assumed that Russia would remain passive, asserting that the “experiment has failed.”
Orban also mentioned that Ukraine's admission into the EU would depend on Hungary's agreement and suggested that Hungary might obstruct Ukraine's accession if it deemed such a move contrary to its national interests. In a statement made in late December, he commented that EU leaders “are living in a self-created bubble, refusing to acknowledge that this war cannot be won in the way they imagine.”
He reiterated that the bloc’s sanctions have not effectively crippled Russia but, instead, have weakened Europe. “Ukraine’s defeat is not just possible but increasingly likely,” he cautioned at that time.
Earlier in December, Orban held former US President Joe Biden accountable for the escalation of tensions in 2022. Russia has frequently pointed to Ukraine’s desire to join NATO and the potential for NATO military infrastructure being positioned in Ukraine as significant factors in the conflict's outbreak. Moscow continues to label the confrontation as a “proxy war” led by the West against Russia using Ukraine.
Recently, US President Donald Trump acknowledged that Ukraine's NATO membership is not feasible, recognizing that Washington's dismissal of Moscow's concerns over the matter contributed to the escalation of the situation.
Ian Smith for TROIB News
