EU strategy to isolate Russia has failed: Hungary's Orban
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Hungary’s Orban says EU strategy to isolate Russia has failed, calls for diplomacy, and proposes urgent Russia-Europe summit during EU leaders’ meeting.
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Hungary's Prime Minister Victor Orban briefs the media in Berlin, Germany, on Monday, Feb. 10, 2020 (AP)
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said on Tuesday that the European Union’s approach of isolating Russia has failed, as confirmed during a virtual summit of EU leaders.
“Today, a meeting of the leaders of 27 EU member states took place ... It was confirmed that the strategy built on isolation [of Russia] has failed,” Orban stated via social media following the summit.
The Hungarian leader emphasized that the conflict in Ukraine can only be resolved through diplomatic means, echoing his long-standing position that military solutions are counterproductive.
“It was confirmed that Ukraine's membership in the European Union does not mean any security guarantees, so linking membership to security guarantees is excessive and dangerous,” he added.
During the meeting, Orban proposed holding a Russia-Europe summit at the earliest opportunity to advance dialogue and ease tensions between Moscow and the West.
Orban has been one of the few EU leaders consistently critical of the bloc’s hardline stance toward Moscow, advocating for engagement over confrontation. His remarks are expected to stir debate within the EU, where divisions remain sharp over how to address the ongoing conflict in Ukraine and relations with Russia.
Read more: Putin offered no concessions in Ukraine talks, Fox analyst says
Group of 30 countries working on security guarantees for Ukraine
Meanwhile, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte revealed that a coalition of 30 countries, including Japan and Australia, is actively working to establish long-term security guarantees for Ukraine, as military tensions with Russia continue as the latter continues to make advances in the Donbass.
In an interview with Fox News, Rutte stated that the effort is being led by British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron.
"Over the last couple of months, under the leadership of Keir Starmer, the British prime minister, and Emmanuel Macron, the French president, a group of now 30 countries, including Japan and Australia, are working on this concept of security guarantees," Rutte said.
According to The Wall Street Journal (WSJ), US Secretary of State Marco Rubio will lead a team of national security advisors and NATO officials in the next phase of drafting the proposed security guarantees. The initiative represents a coordinated NATO effort to offer long-term commitments to Kiev amid the ongoing war.
