Budapest: Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has warned that if peace negotiations do not begin soon, Ukraine could turn into "another Afghanistan" for the European Union.
In an interview with the Swiss newspaper Neue Zürcher Zeitung, published on Monday, Orbán emphasized the urgent need for a ceasefire in Ukraine. He cautioned that if peace talks do not commence soon, the destruction will continue "until Ukraine is completely devastated" and that the country could become a long-term burden for Europe, similar to Afghanistan.
Orbán criticized the West’s decision to support Ukraine, calling it a "major mistake." According to him, Western nations could have prevented the escalation of the war and instead pushed for negotiations.
Since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the United States and its Western allies have provided Kyiv with significant military and humanitarian aid. Former U.S. President Joe Biden allocated billions of dollars in assistance and urged continued support "until a lasting and just peace is achieved in Ukraine."
Meanwhile, former U.S. President Donald Trump has repeatedly promised to end the war quickly if re-elected. In his campaign speeches, he claimed he could bring the conflict to an end "within 24 hours" and has warned of imposing tougher sanctions on Russian President Vladimir Putin. Trump has also suggested that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is willing to negotiate a settlement.
For his part, Putin stated last week that Russia is open to peace talks but ruled out negotiating with Zelensky, whom he considers "illegitimate." In response, Zelensky accused Putin of "fearing negotiations" and trying to prolong the war with "pessimistic rhetoric."
Two days ago, Zelensky warned that excluding Ukraine from peace talks would be "extremely dangerous" and called for further discussions between Kyiv and Washington. Speaking to the media, he expressed willingness to see the U.S., Ukraine, and Russia at the negotiating table, with the European Union also participating.
"I want to see the United States, Ukraine, and Russia at the negotiation table. To be honest, the EU should also have a voice. I think that would be fair and effective. But how it will happen? I don’t know," Zelensky said.
Zelensky also emphasized that any peace agreement with Russia must come with security guarantees from Ukraine’s allies. Kyiv continues to seek NATO membership, a move strongly opposed by Moscow.
As the war drags on, calls for diplomatic efforts to end the conflict are growing, but a clear path to negotiations remains uncertain.
