A meeting between Putin and Zelensky “is certainly possible and necessary”. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, on the sidelines of the 50th edition of the Ambrosetti Forum underway in Cernobbio, relaunches the need for a diplomatic plan to end the war between Russia and Ukraine.
“There is a great literature in Europe on how to create peace and this literature and my personal experience is that the first question concerns dialogue – added Orban -. If there is no dialogue in an appropriate time, the escalation increases and then becomes more difficult”.
On the ceasefire, he noted, “there is a misunderstanding in Western public opinion that we should first put together a peace plan, then start a negotiation and then implement a ceasefire. That is not the case. My point is first the dialogue, then the ceasefire and then we can start negotiating a peace agreement“.
“We need a ceasefire”
“I think We should create an international context that can convincingly express that the whole world wants a ceasefire. as quickly as possible because without this international context it will be too difficult to convince both parties”, he then clarified from the stage of the Forum.
Recalling his visits to Kiev and Moscow in recent weeks, the rotating president of the Council of the European Union explained that his “conclusion was, especially after the meetings with the Ukrainian and Russian presidents, that there is no intention on either side to reach peace, both leaders told me that they think that time can play in their favor”. “My impression is that there is no real intention on either side to reach a ceasefire and a quick and rapid peace”, he said.
For this, he added, “we need friends who support this idea of peace because otherwise it will not be possible to move towards peace”.
“Dialogue with Moscow”
“If there is no communication there is no possibility of stopping the war” and “what we are doing is wrong because there is no communication with the Russians at the moment. We need communication with Ukraine, but we also need communication with Russia,” Orbán insisted.
“This is not my first war. I have been prime minister for 22 years. The first war for me was the Balkans and I also remember the war in Georgia. I have some direct experience in managing wars and managing peace,” he claimed.
“It is not possible to start from a peace plan – he said – It is very important, but first we need communication, then we need a ceasefire and then we can start negotiating a peace plan. This is the correct order of things and this is not happening right now”. For this reason, to “understand what the possibilities for peace are”, he said, “I was in Kiev, and then I was in Moscow, in Beijing and then also at the NATO Summit in Washington and in Mar-a-Lago”, with Donald Trump.
“I have a good relationship with Zelensky”
And to those who asked him if he would make peace with Zelensky, the prime minister replied bluntly: “We have a good relationship, what are you talking about? Dialogue is really important. If there is no dialogue, there is no chance for peace.”
“In the EU language and culture seem pro-war”
“The whole atmosphere, language and culture of the European Union” seems to be “pro-war. I don’t like it and I think it’s not good for the EU.” According to Orban, the European Union “has a chance to survive” but “we have to change many things.” The EU, he noted, “used to be a peace process. I have been in international politics for decades and in the European Council for over 16 years, and my experience is that the language we use and the political targets we pursue have always been peace. Now, however, it seems that “saying that the main goal of the EU is to promote peace is bad.”
“Former EU Commission Failed Same Establishment Still There”
Orban then returns to sniping at Ursula von der Leyen’s European executive. “The previous European Commission has proven to be a failure in terms of the competitiveness of the European economy, immigration, stopping war. The same establishment is still there in Brussels. And that’s not a good thing. Today in Brussels they decided to create essentially the same Commission – he explained – so even if I think people can change and do better than before, it’s very hard to believe. I will try to support the Commission as much as possible but being a rational man I think they ignored the voters’ desire for change”.
“If we want to be more competitive, we need to eliminate bureaucratic procedures. We need fewer bureaucrats and less red tape.”
“Migration, war and gender: the EU political challenges”
“If we look at the political challenges of the EU that are completely changing the political arena, they are migration, war, gender issues and employment, these are the issues”, Orban listed, speaking of “issues” that he considers “also of an existential nature”, which “have no common answers”.
“That’s why I say we should be careful about supporting political union because on these factors we have different approaches,” he said. “And if you force us to work together on things we don’t agree on, the EU automatically disintegrates.”Migration is a disintegrating factor – he insisted – It would be much better on migration to allow countries that do not want to follow the common policy on migration to leave this position because otherwise this union cannot exist, this disintegrates the Union”. “Some issues should not be decided in Brussels, but remain at the national level”, he said, insisting on the “sovereignty” of the member states.
“Melons? Like a sister”
Speaking about Italy, the Hungarian Prime Minister then spent affectionate words towards the Prime Minister. Giorgia Meloni “is my Christian sister. At the beginning this type of relationship did not have an important role in European politics, now together we can open a new era“.
For Orban “having the same cultural bases plays a more important role than in the past. She is not only a political colleague but a Christian sister”. This concept, he explained, “has a fundamental political meaning for Hungary but I believe also for Italy. This cultural aspect of politics will return to Europe as it should”.
Then, to those who asked him if Meloni is a new Angela Merkel, Orban replied: “I don’t think she ran for election in Germany…”. That of Chancellor of Germany “I don’t think it’s an easy role today and I don’t recommend it to her”.
“Salis? In Italian style, sending criminals to Parliament”
As for Ilaria Salis, “it’s an Italian matter, if you like to delegate this type of person, it’s your business,” says the Hungarian prime minister. “From Hungary’s point of view, it’s more than surprising: coming to Hungary in an organized way and committing acts of violence against citizens walking down the street and then being elected to the European Parliament is in the Italian style. Not Hungarian. It’s a crime,” Orban emphasized. “Even though we can’t prosecute her now because the Parliament will probably grant her immunity.”
“Fitto? An exceptional man”
And when asked for a comment on the candidacy of Minister Raffaele Fitto for a leading role in the European Commission, he replied: “I am not the President of the European Commission. I am only the Prime Minister, they know him and he is an exceptional man”.
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