The meeting with Chancellor Olaf Scholz remains a side note during Viktor Orban’s visit to Berlin. The Hungarian head of government raves about Merkel and has great hopes for Trump.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban is calling for negotiations between the US and Russia on a ceasefire in Ukraine – and is counting on US President Donald Trump, who was voted out two years ago.
“The ceasefire does not have to be between Russia and Ukraine, but between America and Russia,” Orban said during his visit to Berlin.
However, he does not see current US President Joe Biden as a suitable negotiator on the US side because of his sharp verbal attacks (“war criminal”, “butcher”, “murderous dictator”) against Russian President Vladimir Putin. “What I’m saying will sound brutal now, but hope for peace is called Donald Trump,” said Orban at an event organized by the magazine “Cicero” and the “Berliner Zeitung”, according to the official translation.
Orban calls Merkel’s actions in the Crimea crisis a “masterpiece”
Orban went into raptures when it came to Chancellor Angela Merkel’s previous role in the Ukraine conflict. When asked whether, in his view, there would have been no Ukraine war if Merkel had remained chancellor, the Hungarian head of government said yes. Already in 2014, Merkel prevented a war through her actions after the Russian annexation of Crimea, he said.
“What Angela Merkel did during the Crimean crisis was a masterpiece,” said Orban. There was no war at the time because the conflict had been isolated by Germany’s diplomatic efforts. “They didn’t let this go up and we all got involved.” On the other hand, when Russia attacked Ukraine in February, there was no one who even tried to prevent it.
After Scholz conversation: “I’m glad … that he’s still alive”
Orban met Merkel on Sunday during his several-day stay in Berlin. Nothing was initially known about the content of the conversation. Orban was then received by Scholz in the Chancellery on Monday. The Prime Minister then said: “I am pleased to be able to tell you that he (Scholz) is still alive. Me too, so the conversation was fruitful.”
The chancellery said nothing about the meeting, which Orban said lasted two hours. A joint press conference, which is customary at such meetings, was not even scheduled without justification.
The Hungarian head of government is seen by many in the EU as a right-wing troublemaker. He is repeatedly accused of violating the rule of law and is currently being criticized for alleged misuse of EU funds.
Orban: Sanctions on Russia ‘killing us’
Most recently, he drew attention to himself with his criticism of the EU sanctions against Russia. He reinforced this criticism in Berlin. “The sanctions in this form are killing us,” he said. They would also ruin the German economy. “What the (EU) Commission is doing now in terms of sanctions is catastrophic.”
Orban argued that sanctions would harm the EU as it stands more than Russia. If they had been designed smarter, energy prices wouldn’t be as high today. “When it comes to energy, we are dwarfs and the Russians are giants. A dwarf sanctions a giant. And then we are amazed that the dwarf dies.”
Orban: The US and Russia must come to an agreement
Orban vehemently advocated negotiating a ceasefire. In his opinion, however, Ukraine should not be involved. “Anyone who thinks that this war will be concluded through Russian-Ukrainian negotiations does not live in this world. The reality of power is different.” Ukraine can only defend itself against the Russian invaders because it has military support from the United States. “That’s why the Americans have to come to an agreement with the Russians. And then the war will be over.”
Source: Stern
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