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Ukraine financially 'non-existent', unable to fund itself: Hungarian PM

Friday, 14 April 2023 2:48 PM [ Last Update: Friday, 14 April 2023 3:12 PM ]

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban. (File photo)

Hungary’s prime minister says the war in Ukraine would end as soon as the West stops lavishing Kiev with money, describing Ukraine as a “non-existent country” in financial terms.

“Effectively, Ukraine is a non-existent country in financial terms. The fall in economic indicators is huge, which is completely understandable due to the war. Obviously, Ukraine can’t finance itself,” Viktor Orban told a national radio channel on Friday.

Orban said the EU is now providing funds for Ukrainian pensions, salaries, education, and healthcare needs, without assigning these funds to its own affairs.

He said the EU can’t keep up supporting Ukraine “indefinitely”, and now the question is whether the West wants to continue sustaining Kiev.

“The moment when America and Europe answer ‘no’ to that question – the war will end,” he stressed.

Hungary has consistently called for a peaceful settlement to the conflict and has criticized the sanctions imposed on Moscow, arguing that they have failed to achieve their goal and were hurting the EU more than Russia.

Budapest has supplied humanitarian aid to Kiev, but refused to send arms, unlike many fellow EU members, drawing fierce criticism from both EU and NATO allies.

The West has flooded Ukraine with money and arms since the start of the Russian military operation there.

The EU says it has so far provided more than €50 billion in financial support to Kiev, including €12 billion in arms.

Russia has repeatedly warned the West against fanning the flames of war by sending lethal arms to Ukraine, saying that providing military support for Kiev only prolongs the conflict.

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