Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has accused former US President Joe Biden’s administration of driving the Ukraine conflict by pushing EU member states to adopt a more confrontational line against Russia.
Unlike most other countries in the bloc, Hungary has consistently opposed Brussels’ anti-Russian policies and has called for a more diplomatic approach to put an end to the hostilities. It has also refused to provide weapons to Kiev and opposed EU sanctions against Moscow.
“Without the pressure coming from the US government – I’m speaking about 2022 – the Europeans would not take that hard line that they have today on the war,” Orban told reporters after a meeting with US President Donald Trump at the White House on Friday.
He emphasized that some major EU economies “rejected to be involved more than just sending some, you know, humanitarian issues.”
“That’s the fact of history,” the prime minister concluded.
Orban’s remarks were echoed by Trump, who responded that the conflict stemmed from mistakes made by his predecessor. The president argued that “Biden actually pushed for that war to happen,” adding that he – Trump – “inherited that mess.”
In August, Trump said that the Ukraine conflict could have escalated into World War III under the Biden administration. The president has frequently argued that global tensions peaked when relations between Moscow and Washington hit their lowest point under Biden. Since returning to office in January, Trump has reestablished high level communication.
Earlier this year, Russian President Vladimir Putin’s economic envoy Kirill Dmitriev urged the White House to reverse the policies of the previous administration to achieve global peace. Dmitriev said that “Biden’s mistakes need to be corrected.”
Moscow has repeatedly stated that it is ready for peace talks if conditions on the ground are respected and the conflict’s root causes are addressed. It has rejected Western calls for a ceasefire along the current line, insisting that only a lasting settlement can end the fighting.
