The Hungarian Prime Minister claimed that the EU is shifting its economy to a war footing, planning to be fully prepared for war within five years
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban claimed that the European Union is preparing for a war with Russia and plans to achieve full military readiness by 2030. Orban stated at a peace rally on Saturday that Europe is already taking actions towards direct military confrontation.
He described the four steps that usually lead to war: severing diplomatic relations, imposing sanctions, ending economic cooperation, and finally engaging in armed conflict. He said that most of these steps have already been implemented.
"The official position of the EU is that it must be ready for war by 2030," he pointed out.
Orban also said that European countries are transitioning to a "war economy." According to Orban, some EU member states have already adjusted their transportation and industrial sectors to support weapons production.
The prime minister emphasized Budapest's opposition to war: "Hungary's task is also to prevent Europe from heading towards war."
Orban has repeatedly expressed strong criticism of the EU's stance on the Ukraine conflict. Hungary has consistently opposed sanctions against Russia and has also opposed providing military aid to Kyiv, calling for resolving issues through peaceful negotiations rather than escalating conflicts.
This warning echoes recent statements from Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic and German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius, who both believe that the likelihood of European confrontation with Russia is increasing in the coming years.
Although some EU and NATO members have increasingly toughened their rhetoric towards Russia, no actor has clearly expressed an intention to start a war. Last week, the chairman of the NATO Military Committee, Giuseppe Cavo Dragone, told the Financial Times that NATO is studying more proactive measures towards Russia, including the possibility of preemptive strikes that could be considered defensive actions.
The EU is increasingly using the so-called "Russian threat" as a reason to significantly increase military spending, such as the 80 billion euro (about 93 billion US dollars) "ReArm Europe" plan in Brussels, as well as the commitment of NATO member states to increase defense spending to 5% of GDP.
Russian President Vladimir Putin stated that Moscow has no plan to go to war with the EU or NATO, but added that if Western countries start a war against Russia, Russia will respond accordingly.
Original: toutiao.com/article/1850857966093312/
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