Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has declared that the US allegedly acknowledged Russia as the victor in the ongoing war and that “Ukraine’s fate seems to be decided.”
Orbán’s government justifies this opposition by citing concerns over the rights of ethnic Hungarians in Ukraine’s western Transcarpathia region, though Kyiv views this as a pretext for obstruction.
Moreover, Hungary is the only EU member still purchasing Russian gas via pipeline as of 2024-2025. This energy relationship means Hungary continues sending billions in revenue to Moscow’s economy that helps finance the war effort.
“They [the US] have faced the fact that Russia has won the war. Without sending troops, Russia’s victory is inevitable, but troops are not being sent. Russia cannot be separated from China in the coming years,” Orbán said, Magyar Nemzet reports.
Xi Jinping has strengthened ties with Putin to oppose American global influence, minimising international efforts trying to isolate Russia diplomatically.
China secretly supplies Russia with drone engines disguised as refrigeration equipment
Orbán divides Ukraine into “three zones”
The Hungarian Prime Minister went further, predicting Ukraine will be carved into three zones following future security negotiations.
The territorial division Orbán envisions splits Ukraine into:
- Russian zone
- Demilitarized buffer zone
- Western zone
Orbán characterized Ukraine’s pre-war status as a buffer state with influence split equally between Russia and the West. He contends this arrangement has collapsed due to the war.
“Today, if you look at events and interpret them coldly, Ukraine is now being divided. Before the war, Ukraine had an important position, it existed as a buffer state: 50% belonged to the Russians, 50% to the West. As a result of the war, this collapsed,” he stated.
Then the Hungarian leader pointed to current European discussions about security guarantees as evidence this partition has already begun.
“Today Europeans elegantly talk about security guarantees, which in turn means the division of Ukraine,” he said, suggesting Western acknowledgment of Russian territorial control represents the first step toward formal partition.
Orbán claims EU “in decay”
The Hungarian leader also delivered a sweeping critique of European unity, describing the EU as being “in a state of decay” and suggesting the bloc’s 2028-2035 budget could be its last before eurozone collapse. He contrasted this with what he called Hungary’s successful economic model.
Despite predicting Ukraine’s dismemberment, Orbán insisted Hungary supports Ukrainian survival.
“We don’t want to push Ukraine into nowhere, we are not anti-Ukrainian,” he stated, explaining that a collapsing neighbor would harm Hungarian interests.
Orbán calls for Europe to negotiate with Putin
Orbán renewed his opposition to Ukrainian NATO and EU membership, advocating instead for a Moscow agreement requiring Ukraine to abandon Euro-Atlantic aspirations. He criticized the EU for behaving “like a lame duck during the war” and called for direct European negotiations with Russia rather than American-mediated talks.
Previously, Orbán declared that Russia has already secured victory with only the timing of Western acknowledgment remaining uncertain.