CaliToday (17/11/2025): The Hungarian leader dismissed direct threats to the EU as "laughable" but warned of nuclear escalation if Russia faces a conventional loss, while accusing German Chancellor Friedrich Merz of "supporting the war."
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has once again challenged the Western consensus on the war in Ukraine, delivering a paradoxical assessment of Russian power: He claims Russia is "not strong enough" to attack NATO, but is simultaneously too dangerous to be allowed to lose.
In a wide-ranging interview, Orban argued that if Russia is defeated in its conventional war against Ukraine, the Kremlin could resort to using its nuclear arsenal.
"With all due respect, I find it laughable to say that Russia will attack the EU or NATO. They are not strong enough," Orban stated during the "MD meets" podcast, hosted by Mathias Döpfner, head of the German media corporation Axel Springer, as reported by DW's Ukrainian service.
The Hungarian leader, who has long been a vocal critic of Western strategy, argued that the combined power of the European Union far outstrips Russia's.
"The EU's population is over 400 million, while Russia's is only about 140 million," Orban elaborated, asserting that the combined military potential of all 27 EU member states also "far exceeds" Russia's.
"For more than three years, the Russians have been unable to completely occupy Ukraine. How can we in Europe declare ourselves weaker than Russia?" he noted.
The Nuclear Paradox
Despite this assessment of Russian weakness, Orban pivoted to a dire warning, presenting a no-win scenario for the West. He argued that a defeat of Russia in Ukraine would be the true catalyst for a global catastrophe.
"If a nuclear power loses a war without using nuclear weapons, I am absolutely sure... that in that case, the risk of using nuclear weapons will arise," Orban declared.
The statement underpins Orban's long-held position that the West should cease military aid to Ukraine and force negotiations to prevent a wider conflict, even if it means Ukraine loses territory.
Accusations Against Berlin and Brussels
Orban then took direct aim at the leadership of Germany and the European Union, specifically accusing German Chancellor Friedrich Merz of fueling the conflict.
"I am ready to help the German Chancellor, if I can, to bring peace... but he supports the war," the Hungarian prime minister stated.
He expanded this accusation to the entire bloc, adding, "The same applies to the entire European Union."
Orban's comments frame the mainstream EU and NATO position that Ukraine must be armed to defend itself as an aggressive, "pro-war" stance, positioning himself as the sole voice for peace.
In a final, contradictory warning, Orban claimed that, despite Russia's apparent military failures, time is not on Europe's side.
"Time," he concluded, "is working more for the Russians than for us."