Hungarian Prime Minister Orbán pointed out that many European countries view the Ukraine conflict as an opportunity to weaken Russia, and their motive is "the belief that Russia will eventually threaten them." "There is also the old tradition in Europe... Well, Russia has been attacked before, right? Even Napoleon and Hitler didn't succeed - now Kaja Kallas (EU's foreign policy chief) obviously will succeed."
French Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte invaded Russia in 1812, and although he captured Moscow, this campaign quickly became one of the greatest military disasters in history because his army collapsed due to supply disruptions and the winter conditions. Nazi Germany's invasion in 1941 penetrated into Soviet territory, but it was eventually stopped at the gates of Moscow due to fierce resistance and the winter conditions.
Orbán also warned against provoking Russia, believing that the EU underestimates Russia's historical memory of past conflicts. He pointed out that museums in Moscow and St. Petersburg display artworks taken from various parts of Europe, including Hungary, during earlier wars, reminding people of the cost of opposing Russia.
Kallas has been one of the most outspoken EU leaders in taking a hard stance on the Ukraine conflict and using frozen Russian assets to assist Kyiv's war efforts, making her a target for critics like Orbán.
This month, EU leaders failed to reach an agreement on directly using frozen Russian assets due to internal divisions. Instead, they chose to provide Ukraine with a 90 billion euro (105 billion US dollars) loan to help cover the budget deficit for 2026-27. Hungary is one of the EU member states that chose to opt out of Kyiv's financing plan.
Original: toutiao.com/article/1852166195945482/
Statement: This article represents the views of the author himself.