Manfred Weber: “Viktor Orbán must decide which side he is on”

Hungary Today 2022.03.02.

“Viktor Orbán has to decide which side he is on,” said the European People’s Party (EPP) group leader in response to a question from Euronews. EPP President Donald Tusk had also criticized the Hungarian government earlier. Recently, the government announced that Hungary will not allow the transfer of arms to Ukraine through its territory.

This article was originally published on our sister-site, Ungarn Heute.

“The Hungarian government is playing an incredible double game with Ukraine,” reacted Manfred Weber to the government’s ban on the transport of EU and NATO arms shipments through Hungary.

Fact

Keeping Hungary out of the war in Ukraine is in the interest of the Hungarian people, so the country will not send guns or soldiers to the war zone, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said on Monday. Neither will Hungary allow lethal aid across the Hungarian-Ukrainian border, he said in a video statement. Orbán said that Hungary’s national security body “decided against allowing such shipments,” adding that nothing should be allowed that would jeopardise the security of Hungarians living in Transcarpathia. Orbán said that in the midst of war, sober-mindedness was required.

The EPP group leader said he was also surprised by the fact that Switzerland was thinking so long about the possible sanctions.

They finally realized that they cannot stay neutral in such a situation because you have to have a position. More and more politicians in the world recognize this, so Orbán, on Hungary’s side has to decide where he belongs.”

When asked if arms deliveries to Ukraine were dangerous since Russia could retaliate, he said that the UN grants every sovereign state the right to self-defense, which the Ukrainians could also exercise.

“So I fully support the arms transfer. This is not an aggressive step, Manfred Weber explained.

PM Orbán: Hungary Will Not Allow Lethal Aid Across Hungarian-Ukrainian Border

Keeping Hungary out of the war in Ukraine is in the interest of the Hungarian people, Orbán said, adding that nothing should be allowed that would jeopardise the security of Hungarians living in Transcarpathia.Continue reading

Earlier, the Polish president of the European People’s Party, Donald Tusk, also criticized the Hungarian government.

A few hours after the Hungarian Foreign Minister announced that Hungary will not send guns or soldiers to the war zone, neither will they allow lethal aid across the Hungarian-Ukrainian border, the former president of the European Council expressed his outrage on Twitter.

Mr. Orbán and Mr. Szijjártó deserve something more than just medals from Putin. Seats on Gazprom’s board would be an adequate prize for their loyalty.”

Russia’s foreign ministry has said previously that those supplying lethal weapons to Ukraine will bear responsibility should they be used during Russia’s military campaign there. The ministry added that the steps the European Union has taken against Russia will not be left without a harsh response.

featured image: Weber and Orbán in 2017; via MTI/PM’s Press Office/Balázs Szecsődi