Orban slams EU military conscription proposal as 'insane'
3 Min Read
The Hungarian Premier voiced deep concern over the EU's involvement in the Ukraine conflict, criticizing what he says is a lack of foresight regarding the costs and implications of such engagement.
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Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban speaks during a press conference with his Sweden's counterpart Ulf Kristersson at the Carmelite Monastery in Budapest, Hungary, on Feb 23, 2024 (AP)
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban on Sunday vehemently rejected the idea of reintroducing compulsory EU-wide military conscription, labeling it as "insane" and asserting Hungary's resistance to external decisions regarding its citizens' military service.
Orban's remarks came as a response to Manfred Weber's recent proposal to reinstate compulsory military service across the bloc.
"We don't want anyone else to be able to make decisions about conscription and sending our young men of draft age anywhere. We have to forget about a European army with compulsory conscription, this is a crazy idea," Orban said in an interview with the Patriota YouTube channel.
Orban further voiced deep concern over the EU's involvement in the Ukraine conflict, criticizing what he says is a lack of foresight regarding the costs and implications of such engagement.
"Europe is becoming so involved in the war that it does not even have an estimate of the scale of the costs and means necessary to achieve its military objective. I have never seen anything more irresponsible in my life," Orban remarked.
He further suggested that NATO's inclination to intervene in the Ukraine conflict was palpable, noting that "the chances that the alliance can be kept from doing so are limited."
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The prospect of NATO troops intervening in Ukraine has recently stirred EU politics. While some politicians have expressed confidence in increased involvement, others have called for greater caution.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg recently suggested Ukraine's allies consider allowing Kiev to strike targets beyond its borders.
In an interview with The Economist on Friday, Stoltenberg said that NATO allies should rethink restrictions on the use of donated weaponry, allowing Ukraine to target military sites within Russia.
"To deny Ukraine the possibility of using these weapons against legitimate military targets on Russian territory makes it very hard for them to defend themselves," he said.
In reaction to these remarks, Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni expressed her concerns earlier in the day, saying, "I don't know why Stoltenberg said such a thing, I think we have to be very careful."
While she maintained that NATO should remain steadfast and not appear to be capitulating, she firmly opposed extending the use of weapons supplied to Ukraine for attacks inside Russia.
Read more: Hungary blocking EU plan to give Russian funds to Ukraine
