Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said that the European Union (EU)'s deployment of a new loan, worth 90 billion euros (104 billion USD) to Ukraine is no different from "sweeping away everything" from European taxpayers.
Speaking on local television, Mr. Orban quoted the EU's estimate, saying that Ukraine has received financial commitments from the bloc alone worth over 193 billion euros (224 billion USD) since the conflict with Russia broke out.
The Hungarian leader described the EU's aid to Ukraine as "spreading money, sending it, burning it all", while the budgets of member states are under much pressure. "The Americans are wiser and have withdrawn at the right time" - Mr. Orban added.
Prime Minister Orban also expressed relief when his country, along with Slovakia and the Czech Republic, fiercely fought at the EU summit at the end of last year to win exceptions, thereby withdrawing from the plan to lend Ukraine 90 billion euros.
The Hungarian Prime Minister said that the EU is telling a "fairy tale" about Ukraine's ability to repay loans with compensation from Russia.
According to Mr. Orban, this is also a scenario that Western European leaders often use to reassure and convince people that the level of impact from Ukraine aid packages is not really serious.
The Prime Minister affirmed that Ukraine "never, even if only a millionth of the opportunity" can repay this money, so the financial burden will ultimately fall on the shoulders of European citizens.
“Hungary is the only country that has always consulted people on important strategic issues such as utility bills, migration, gender, and Ukraine's EU membership,” Mr. Orban said, while announcing a new national petition to create conditions for all Hungarian people to express their opposition to funding the conflict.
