Orban calls Zelensky's victory plan 'terrifying,' urges negotiations with Russia
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban called Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's victory plan "more than terrifying" in a social media post published Oct. 17.
Zelensky presented his five-point victory plan to the European Council in Brussels on Oct. 17, one day after unveiling the plan to the public during a special session of Ukraine's parliament.
"What (Zelensky) outlined yesterday in the Ukrainian parliament is more than terrifying," Orban wrote on Facebook ahead of the EU summit.
Orban urged the EU to change its strategy regarding the war in Ukraine and reiterated calls for "a ceasefire and peace talks."
Under Orban's leadership, Hungary has repeatedly blocked aid to Kyiv, pushed for negotiations with Moscow, and spouted Kremlin talking points. Since taking the presidency of the European Commission in July, Orban has lobbied aggressively to stand as a negotiator between Ukraine and Russia.
Orban dismissed Zelensky's victory plan, which calls for more long-range weapons and the permission to use them against Russian targets, as "dangerous."
The proposal is comprised of five points: an invitation to join NATO, a defense aspect, non-nuclear deterrence of Russian aggression, economic growth and cooperation, and post-war security architecture. It also involves three classified addenda that have been shared with international partners.
The EU must "switch to a peace strategy instead of a war strategy," Orban said in his post, which also insisted that Ukraine was "losing" the war against Russia.
"I will also urge today that the German Chancellor and the French President start negotiations with Russia as soon as possible on behalf of the entire European Union, so that we can find a way out of this situation."
Olena Goncharova
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