Orban: Ukraine war 'killing' EU economy, diplomacy urgently needed
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Hungarian PM Viktor Orban warns that continued EU funding for Ukraine harms the bloc’s economy, calling for direct talks with Russia to end the war.
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Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orban speaks during a meeting with President Donald Trump in the Cabinet Room of the White House, Friday, November 7, 2025, in Washington. (AP)
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said the EU must urgently pursue a diplomatic solution to the war in Ukraine, arguing that continued financial support for Kiev is severely damaging the bloc’s economy.
Speaking on German journalist Mathias Döpfner’s MDMEETS podcast on Sunday, Orban said it was “just crazy” for Brussels to keep allocating funds to Ukraine after having already “burnt” €185 billion (about $215 billion) since the conflict escalated in February 2022.
“The point is that this war kills the EU economically,” he stressed. “We finance a country which has no chance to win the war, but at the same time, there is a high level of corruption, and we do not have money for the EU to make a new boost for our economy, which is suffering a lot because of the lack of competitiveness.”
Orban criticized EU leaders who argue the war must continue in hopes that battlefield dynamics will eventually produce more favorable conditions for talks. “They are totally wrong,” he said, adding, “The situation and the time is better for the Russian than for us.”
Orban calls for an open, direct diplomatic channel with Moscow
The Hungarian leader, whose government has refused to provide military assistance to Ukraine, renewed his call for Brussels to open direct diplomatic channels with Moscow. Peace, he suggested, could be “very close” if the EU aligns its approach with US President Donald Trump’s efforts to halt the fighting.
“Let us open an independent communication channel to Russia… Let the Americans negotiate with the Russians and then the Europeans should also negotiate with the Russians and then see whether we can unify the position,” Orban said.
It is worth noting that Moscow has maintained that it is open to diplomacy, but insists that any agreement must address what it describes as the fundamental causes of the crisis. This includes binding guarantees that Ukraine will not join NATO, as well as the country’s demilitarization, “denazification,” and recognition of current territorial realities.
Russia has warned that if Kiev and its Western backers refuse to present realistic proposals, it will continue pursuing its objectives through military means.
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