BUDAPEST (Reuters) – Hungary will not veto European Union sanctions against Russia and the unity of the 27-member bloc is paramount given the war in Ukraine, which Hungary condemns unequivocally, Prime Minister Viktor Orban said.
This week, Hungary joined an initiative by eight EU leaders to start membership talks with neighbouring Ukraine but NATO-member Hungary has rejected the transport of lethal weapons through its territory to its eastern neighbour.
The 58-year-old Orban faces an election in just over four weeks, but his campaign has been complicated by surging inflation, an EU funding freeze due to a row over democratic standards and the fallout from the war in Ukraine.
“We condemn the Russian attack, as they have launched a war against Ukraine,” the nationalist Orban told the news website mandiner.hu in an interview published on Thursday. Russia calls its onslaught a “special operation”.
“The sides should return to the negotiating table as soon as possible,” Orban said. “All of Europe should be working for peace.”
Orban, who has been strongly criticised by the Hungarian opposition for his friendly ties with Moscow, said Hungary’s ties with Russia had been “balanced and fair” until the very recent past, but the war has created a new situation.
He added, however, that there was no reason to cut energy ties with Russia.
(Reporting by Gergely Szakacs; Editing by Clarence Fernandez)
