Orban said the EU’s ambitious plan for Ukraine had failed

The European Union’s hopes for Russia’s defeat in the conflict in Ukraine and a change of leadership in Moscow did not materialize; the strategy for Ukraine turned out to be a failure. This statement was made by Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, speaking in Astana at the summit of the Organization of Turkic States.

“They think that Ukraine will win and Russia will lose, after which the leadership in Russia will change and they will negotiate with the new leadership of Russia. This is a failed plan. It’s very ambitious, but it won’t work,” he said (quote according to TASS).

At the same time, according to Orban, the EU authorities are committed to continuing funding for Kyiv and arms supplies. The Hungarian Prime Minister again called for the development of a “Plan B” for Ukraine, which would involve a ceasefire and peace negotiations. He also advocated building a “new European security architecture” that would suit both Russia and Ukraine, and would also include Turkey.

At the end of October, Orban proposed thinking about a “Plan B” for Ukraine, since the strategy of allocating funds to Kyiv for military operations had failed. According to him, the EU planned to support Ukraine so that it could win on the battlefield, without resolving the situation through negotiations. Orbán explained that the goal was “not to isolate the conflict, as was done in the case of Crimea.”

At the same time, the Ukrainian counteroffensive showed that Kyiv will not be able to win on the battlefield, and Russian President Vladimir Putin “will not allow failure.” Orban noted that politicians in Europe are still hesitant to admit this.

Earlier, the Hungarian Prime Minister repeatedly spoke about the impossibility of Ukraine’s victory on the battlefield. He called the beginning of negotiations with Russia the only way to save Ukraine. At the same time, the Hungarian prime minister noted that Ukraine has long lost its sovereignty, and it is ruled by Western countries, in particular the United States. According to him, if Washington wanted, it could resolve the conflict “tomorrow morning.”

Moscow has repeatedly emphasized that it remains ready for negotiations with Ukraine. However, this process is hampered by a decree signed by Zelensky in October 2022 on the refusal to negotiate with Russia while Putin is its president, the Kremlin explained.