Latest news with #Ukraine-friendly
Budapest Times
19-05-2025
- Politics
- Budapest Times
Orbán: Hungary is under attack, and only we can defend it
At Sunday's Fight Club gathering, Prime Minister Orbán delivered a combative and rallying speech to what he described as the 'freedom fighters of the digital world.' He began with a bold welcome—'Hello warriors! Welcome, I greet the freedom fighters of the digital world'—and said that the event's goal is to mobilize patriotic Hungarians ready to act. 'Hungary is under attack, and if it's under attack, someone must defend it. And that someone is us,' declared the prime minister. 'In fact, Hungary is under such attack that only we can defend it.' He compared the current situation to the lonely fight of Hunyadi János's soldiers: 'We feel like Hunyadi's men asking—where is the king, the pope, the Germans, Italy? The answer: we are alone, just as usual.' Turning to recent domestic political changes, Prime Minister Orbán celebrated what he described as the collapse of the opposition leadership. 'The leader of the left, who misled the Hungarian people, lured the unsuspecting into foreign currency loans, took away the 13th month's salary and pension, brought in the IMF, and had the eyes of our peacefully protesting comrades shot out—well, that man is gone. Finished. Done. Vanished into the abyss.' He added, 'This is the victory of national politics over the post-communist era.' He extended his criticism to other opposition parties, mocking Momentum's withdrawal from elections: 'They made the brave and heroic decision not to run. A spitting image of Sir Robin.' He also warned that Jobbik, 'teeters on the edge of the grave.' But the most serious warnings were reserved for international affairs. Prime Minister Orbán described Ukraine's EU accession as the gravest current threat: 'Ukraine's EU membership is the biggest danger. They want in at any cost, and they don't care that they would bring war with them. They don't care about destroying our farmers. They don't care that we'd become a corridor for the Ukrainian mafia.' He punctuated his rejection with: 'No, no and no!' On the topic of foreign actors conducting intelligence operations and smear campaigns, he noted: 'This is what the Ukrainian intelligence campaign against Hungary is about. This is what the foreign-funded smear campaign is about.' He argued that Brussels is backing a Tisza-Dobrev coalition 'to install a Ukraine-friendly leadership in Hungary,' and warned: 'They get the coffee, we get the slap in the face.' He urged his audience to stand firm: 'We have managed to pull ourselves together, take our fate into our own hands, and stay out of war. It would be the world's greatest misfortune if Brussels and Ukraine took over Hungary now.' Central to his vision was the expansion of the newly formed Digital Freedom Fighters Club: 'What we are building is a fortress—not from bricks, but from people.' He called on members to double their ranks in one week: 'Each of you should bring one new fighter within a week. Only fighters—no gawkers.' He set a goal: 'We will fight the 2026 elections with one hundred thousand digital freedom fighters.' He emphasized the need to dominate the digital arena: 'We must also move into the virtual space. We must be the strongest in the digital world too.' As the address drew to a close, Prime Minister Orbán outlined the stakes: 'The first battle has arrived. It's called Voks 2025. The stakes are enormous.' He urged unity and passion: 'Our opponents fight for money and power. We fight from the heart. And the heart will defeat the money.' 'We will reach every Hungarian, even those who have already moved into the new digital world,' he pledged. 'It's time for us to begin. Long ago, it was the fortress walls—today, it's Facebook.'
Yahoo
05-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Ukraine's allies in EU ready to back Moldova if Orbán's veto persists, despite Ukraine's hopes
The European Union member states most supportive of Ukraine are not planning to block the start of EU accession negotiations with Moldova separately from Ukraine if Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán continues to veto the process for Kyiv. Source: European Pravda Details: European Pravda reported that despite Kyiv's hopes that "friends of Ukraine" in the EU would block the separation of the Ukraine–Moldova enlargement package, sources in Brussels and various capitals acknowledge that this will not happen. Even the states most sympathetic to Ukraine – such as the Baltic countries – are ready to support Moldova. "We are in a difficult position. Yes, we support Ukraine in the negotiations and we know that Ukraine would prefer to preserve the current package. But we also support Moldova and are helping them… We will not veto the start of negotiations with Moldova," explained an enlargement official from one of the Baltic states, speaking on condition of anonymity. The key reason Moldova will receive the green light to begin negotiations – with or without Ukraine – is the EU's attempt to support Maia Sandu ahead of Moldova's parliamentary elections on 28 September. The outcome will be decisive for the country's direction and strategically significant for Ukraine as well. Meanwhile, sources from Ukraine-friendly countries stress that they are preparing to significantly increase pressure on Hungary in an attempt to persuade Orbán to lift his veto against Ukraine before the EU summit on 26-27 June. Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon!
Yahoo
05-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Orbán: Zelenskyy's expectations of "Ukraine-friendly" government in Hungary won't happen
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has said during a parliamentary session that Volodymyr Zelenskyy wants to see a "Ukraine-friendly" government in Hungary, but this will not happen. Source: European Pravda; Orbán's words quoted by Zoltan Kovacs, a spokesman for the Hungarian government Details: The Hungarian PM said that Ukraine has agreed with Brussels on "accelerated EU accession" and now expects Hungary to ratify it. "Zelenskyy wants a Ukraine-friendly government in Hungary. Those who are agents of Brussels are also friends of Zelenskyy," Orbán said. Viktor Orbán added that these expectations will not be met. "There will never be a situation where Kyiv or Brussels dictates how Hungarians exercise their rightful sovereignty," Orbán said, repeating that Ukraine's accession to the EU would lead to Hungary's bankruptcy. Besides, Orbán called on Hungarians to express their opinion on Ukraine's accession during the "Voks 2025 vote". Background: The Ukrainian government and the European Commission had ambitious plans for the pace of accession negotiations in 2025, but the Hungarian veto stood in the way. Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó claimed that Zelenskyy "has to come to terms with the fact that Hungarians have every right to express their opinion on Ukraine's fast-track EU accession". On 4 May, Zelenskyy and Viktor Orbán made mutually critical statements on the issue. Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon!
Yahoo
26-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
UK's Starmer says only U.S. 'backstop' can secure lasting Ukraine peace
By Elizabeth Piper WASHINGTON (Reuters) - British Prime Minister Keir Starmer urged the United States on Wednesday to provide a security "backstop" to any future European peacekeepers in Ukraine, saying only that would offer Kyiv a lasting peace rather than a temporary ceasefire. Heading to Washington for a meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump, Starmer again said Britain would "play our part" in any peacekeeping role in Ukraine, but could only do so with some kind of backup from the United States. See for yourself — The Yodel is the go-to source for daily news, entertainment and feel-good stories. By signing up, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy. Since Trump abandoned Washington's more Ukraine-friendly approach to Russia's war, Britain and other European nations have scrambled to demonstrate a united front and stepped up diplomatic efforts in support of Kyiv. But there are still differences over any future deployment of troops in Ukraine, with some European nations including France ready to do so, while others, such as Poland, have ruled it out. Russia again on Wednesday said it could not consider "any options" for European peacekeepers being sent to Ukraine. For Starmer, the crucial part of plans for a Ukraine peace deal is securing what he calls a "backstop" from Trump, something that has yet to be clearly defined. "I'm absolutely convinced that we need a lasting peace, not a ceasefire, and for that to happen we need security guarantees," he told reporters travelling with him to Washington. "Precisely what that layers up to, what that looks like, is obviously a subject of intense discussion." Starmer said the backstop was crucial in order to deter Russian President Vladimir Putin from attacking Ukraine again. "... my concern is if there is a ceasefire without a backstop, it will simply give him (Putin) the opportunity to wait and to come again because his ambition in relation to Ukraine is pretty obvious, I think, for all to see," he said. A day after saying he would boost defence spending - meeting a demand often made by Trump to members of the NATO alliance - Starmer was reticent about his chances of success in Washington. "I'm not going to get ahead of myself on it, other than to say I'm very clear about what the principles are," he said. Before Starmer's arrival, Trump said: "I'm not going to make security guarantees beyond very much. We're going to have Europe do that, because we're talking about Europe as the next door neighbour (of Ukraine)." STARMER FOLLOWS MACRON Starmer's trip comes on the heels of a good-humoured visit to Washington by French President Emmanuel Macron who agreed with Trump on the deployment of European peacekeeping forces. However Macron also did not get a firm nod on the backstop idea. The prime minister and his team are hoping to press on with a charm offensive begun at a two-hour dinner they shared with Trump last September at Trump Tower, a meeting British officials said was warm, with the "gracious host" offering foreign minister David Lammy a second helping of chicken. Starmer said he wanted the so-called "special relationship" between the U.S. and Britain - a term first referenced by Winston Churchill after World War Two - "to go from strength to strength". But he will have to navigate some tricky differences. Trump blindsided Europe by calling Putin without warning and sending a delegation to Saudi Arabia for talks with Russia without including Ukraine or Europe. Trump has called Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy a "dictator" and falsely suggested that Kyiv was responsible for starting the war. Starmer has been careful to stick to his positions - that Putin started the war with the 2022 full-scale invasion, that Zelenskiy is democratically elected and Ukraine should be involved in peace negotiations - without addressing Trump's comments directly. He said there was "one aggressor here and that's Russia" and was immediately asked whether Trump agreed with his thinking. "Of course, the president has been very clear about the peace that he wants. He's right about that. We all want peace," he said. "The question is, how do we make sure it's a lasting peace. There's no issue between us on this."
Reuters
26-02-2025
- Politics
- Reuters
UK's Starmer says only U.S. 'backstop' can secure lasting Ukraine peace
WASHINGTON, Feb 26 (Reuters) - British Prime Minister Keir Starmer urged the United States on Wednesday to provide a security "backstop" to any future European peacekeepers in Ukraine, saying only that would offer Kyiv a lasting peace rather than a temporary ceasefire. Heading to Washington for a meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump, Starmer again said Britain would "play our part" in any peacekeeping role in Ukraine, but could only do so with some kind of backup from the United States. Since Trump abandoned Washington's more Ukraine-friendly approach to Russia's war, Britain and other European nations have scrambled to demonstrate a united front and stepped up diplomatic efforts in support of Kyiv. But there are still differences over any future deployment of troops in Ukraine, with some European nations including France ready to do so, while others, such as Poland, have ruled it out. Russia again on Wednesday said it could not consider"any options" for European peacekeepers being sent to Ukraine. For Starmer, the crucial part of plans for a Ukraine peace deal is securing what he calls a "backstop" from Trump, something that has yet to be clearly defined. "I'm absolutely convinced that we need a lasting peace, not a ceasefire, and for that to happen we need security guarantees," he told reporters travelling with him to Washington. "Precisely what that layers up to, what that looks like, is obviously a subject of intense discussion." Starmer said the backstop was crucial in order to deter Russian President Vladimir Putin from attacking Ukraine again. "... my concern is if there is a ceasefire without a backstop, it will simply give him (Putin) the opportunity to wait and to come again because his ambition in relation to Ukraine is pretty obvious, I think, for all to see," he said. A day after saying he would boost defence spending - meeting a demand often made by Trump to members of the NATO alliance - Starmer was reticent about his chances of success in Washington. "I'm not going to get ahead of myself on it, other than to say I'm very clear about what the principles are," he said. Before Starmer's arrival, Trump said: "I'm not going to make security guarantees beyond very much. We're going to have Europe do that, because we're talking about Europe as the next door neighbour (of Ukraine)." STARMER FOLLOWS MACRON Starmer's trip comes on the heels of a good-humoured visit to Washington by French President Emmanuel Macron who agreed with Trump on the deployment of European peacekeeping forces. However Macron also did not get a firm nod on the backstop idea. The prime minister and his team are hoping to press on with a charm offensive begun at a two-hour dinner they shared with Trump last September at Trump Tower, a meeting British officials said was warm, with the "gracious host" offering foreign minister David Lammy a second helping of chicken. Starmer said he wanted the so-called "special relationship" between the U.S. and Britain - a term first referenced by Winston Churchill after World War Two - "to go from strength to strength". But he will have to navigate some tricky differences. Trump blindsided Europe by calling Putin without warning and sending a delegation to Saudi Arabia for talks with Russia without including Ukraine or Europe. Trump has called Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy a "dictator" and falsely suggested that Kyiv was responsible for starting the war. Starmer has been careful to stick to his positions - that Putin started the war with the 2022 full-scale invasion, that Zelenskiy is democratically elected and Ukraine should be involved in peace negotiations - without addressing Trump's comments directly. He said there was "one aggressor here and that's Russia" and was immediately asked whether Trump agreed with his thinking. "Of course, the president has been very clear about the peace that he wants. He's right about that. We all want peace," he said. "The question is, how do we make sure it's a lasting peace. There's no issue between us on this."
