On November 15, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban announced that the establishment of a new European security structure with the participation of Russia must become a prerequisite to end the conflict in Ukraine.
Speaking on M1 TV channel, Mr. Orban said: "If we can provide the Russian people with a European security system that ensures the safety of both us and them, then we can reach an agreement with them on ending the conflict in Ukraine."
However, the Hungarian leader stressed that to conduct such a fair dialogue, Europe must be military-grade enough. He immediately clarified his philosophy, saying that this military power is not for war.
Call for going against the trend
Mr. Orban's speech was made in the context of other European leaders seemingly preparing for a long-term confrontation scenario. On November 13, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov accused Europe of "publicly preparing for a new major war". On the same day, French President Macron also warned that " Tomorrow's war will start in space" and announced a $4.9 billion package to deal with Russia.
While the rest of Europe has increased defense spending with a confrontation mentality, Mr. Orban gave another perspective: Europe's military power should only be used as leverage at the negotiating table to reach a constructive security deal.
Following the example of the US?
Prime Minister Orban has long said about the need to establish a new security system that takes into account Russia's interests. He also urged EU leaders to start a dialogue with Moscow, following the example of the current US administration.
This "Following the example of the US" call is particularly noteworthy. It came just weeks after US President Donald Trump had a summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping on October 30 and helped ease trade tensions.
Trump has also repeatedly left open the possibility of meeting Russian President Putin and publicly refused to provide long-range attack weapons such as Tomahawk to Kiev on November 3, a move seen as an advance for a diplomatic solution.
While the EU is still struggling with sanctions packages and divided about plans to use frozen Russian assets, Mr. Orban seems to be urging Brussels to learn the bilateral, direct diplomatic approach of the Trump administration.
Mr. Orban, who just had a close meeting with President Trump at the White House on November 7, believes that the only way to end the conflict is not military escalation, but a new comprehensive security deal between the West and Russia.
