West might be close to sending allied troops to Ukraine: Orban
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Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban says the West is mulling sending allied troops to Ukraine in the near future.
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Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban speaks during a yearly State of the Nation address in Budapest, Hungary, on February 18, 2023 (AP Photo)
The West is very close to seriously discussing the prospect of sending allied troops to Ukraine, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said Thursday.
According to Orban, Western leaders are suffering from "war fever" and "sending more and more dangerous weapons to Ukraine," as the sending of fighter jets to Kiev, which used to be "considered taboo," is already on the agenda.
"I think we are very close to suggesting, in all seriousness, that the soldiers of Ukraine's allied countries cross the border and enter the territory of Ukraine," Orban said on National radio station Kossuth Rádió.
"The world has never been so close to so that from a local war — after all, it was about Luhansk and Donetsk — a world war would turn out. The likelihood of this is growing from day to day," the Hungarian premier underlined.
Orban previously said European countries were "like sleepwalkers on a roof", constantly teetering on the brink of war with Russia.
He also stressed that there was already an indirect war taking place between Russia and the West as the latter is supplying mountains of arms to Kiev and may even go as far as sending "peacekeeping troops."
Hungarian Parliament speaker Laszlo Kover said several EU and NATO countries sent Ukraine some $60 billion in lethal weapons, making them parties to the war.
Furthermore, Hungarian Foreign Ministry Secretary of State Tamas Menczer said a ceasefire in Ukraine has been declared as the EU's red line when the bloc refused to discuss the proposals for peace talks.
"Even knowing that Brussels represents the position of the 'party of war', we were still shocked... when we, the Hungarians, suggested that the documents on the occasion of the anniversary of the start... [of Russia's special military operation] contain calls for an immediate ceasefire and the start of talks, they were rejected in each case," Menczer told the broadcaster.
The official explained that Brussels has often made it clear, behind closed doors and in public, that the "immediate cessation of the war" not only "is a red line," but that the bloc believed that the war in eastern Europe "must be continued until Ukraine wins."
Hungary, on the other hand, has maintained its position of neutrality throughout the war in Ukraine and has continued to voice its concerns. Menсzer said Budapest supported the return to peace talks and insisted that there can be no winner in this war.
Additionally, Orban said in late February that Budapest is supportive of China's peace strategy for Ukraine and considers its relevance.
China had issued a 12-point position paper on Ukraine that highlighted all the steps required to reach a "political settlement".
These include respecting the sovereignty of all countries, abandoning the Cold War mentality, ceasing hostilities, resuming peace talks, resolving the humanitarian crisis, protecting civilians and POWs, keeping nuclear power plants safe, reducing strategic risks, facilitating grain exports, stopping unilateral sanctions, keeping industrial and supply chains stable, and promoting post-conflict reconstruction.
Because the plan did not specify that Russia must withdraw its troops from Ukraine, the West accused China of an attempt to undermine Ukraine's sovereignty at the expense of Russia's.
Beijing has already dismissed these claims as false, with top diplomat Wang Yi saying China will continue to stand firmly on the side of dialogue and peace, and will not seek to fuel escalations nor remain a bystander.
