Orban said that Ukraine should be a “buffer” state and cooperate with the EU instead of joining
Prime Minister of Hungary Viktor Orban statedthat his state does not offer Ukraine full membership in the European Union, but “strategic cooperation” in order to avoid the risk of being drawn into the war. In his opinion, Ukraine should be a “buffer” state.
“Hungary offers Ukraine strategic cooperation that will be pragmatic, flexible and based on mutual interests, not on irreversible integration.” According to him, “Ukraine’s membership in the EU will lead to the transfer of war to the very heart of Europe, and our families should not face such a risk.” Orban stressed.
The politician also added that the current situation requires “considered decisions, not theatrical threats.” Separately, he called Ukraine a “buffer state”.
“The fate of Ukraine today is that it is a buffer state bordering Russia. We are not ready to accept such a fate. The Hungarians have just escaped from that. We were also a buffer state during the Cold War. We were not part of the Soviet Union, but we were on the western perimeter of the Soviet Union, on the eastern perimeter of the Western world, but we were a buffer.
We do not want to return to this position. Ukraine is in such a situation. It may be uncomfortable, it may not be good, and someone wants to get out of it, but the fact is that the country cannot be changed.” Orban concluded.
