Hungarian nationalist Prime Minister Viktor Orbán this week called for peace talks in Ukraine and said "there is no victory for poor Ukrainians on the battlefield" in the war against Russia.
Orbán, speaking with Bloomberg editor-in-chief John Micklethwait on Tuesday at the Qatar Economic Forum, noted Hungarians have a different perspective on the war given the country's close proximity to Ukraine. Hungary borders Ukraine on the southeast, and he said many people in Hungary have family members in Ukraine.
However, he went on to say "the battlefield solution" to Russia's invasion "does not work."
"Looking at the reality, looking at the figures, looking at the surroundings, looking at the fact that NATO is not ready to send troops, it's obvious that there is no victory for poor Ukrainians on the battlefield," Orbán continued. "That's my position."
"Escalation should be stopped and we should argue in favor of peace and negotiations," he added.
"The war can be stopped only if the Russians can make an agreement with the U.S. In Europe, we are not happy with that, but it's the only way out."
Orbán also said if Ukraine wants more money for military aid, then the country should not sanction Hungarian companies. Ukrainian officials previously placed the Hungarian OTP Bank on a list of "war sponsors" that caused the bank to be blacklisted.
Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said earlier this month the country would not support a sanctions package or military support funding for Ukraine unless the bank was removed from the list.
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