Will Europe alone be able to maintain the military and financial support to Ukraine?

A new European strategy for Ukraine will be needed after the Republican victory in the United States on Tuesday night and early Wednesday, the Prime Minister said in his speech at the Turkish Council in Bishkek on Wednesday.

In his speech, Viktor Orbán explained: there was a Republican victory in America, and this "puts the question on the table for us European leaders", whether Europe alone will be able to maintain the military and financial support to Ukraine.

"There are serious doubts about this, which is why a new European strategy will be needed," he said, adding that the first steps of this could be taken on Thursday in Budapest, at the summit of European leaders.

The prime minister continued by saying that 47 heads of state and government are expected in the capital, which will be the biggest diplomatic event in Hungary's history.

He called the most difficult question to be dealt with what will be the fate of the 50 billion euro loan to Ukraine, which was previously decided by the G7, to be jointly financed by the European Union and the United States.

The prime minister also said at the meeting that last year Hungary's trade turnover with Turkish countries exceeded 5 billion dollars for the first time. He added that last year more than 5,000 students from the Türk Council countries applied for the Hungarian university scholarship for the first time.

This year, the member states of the council made a greater contribution to the security of Hungary's energy supply than ever before: Hungary became the first non-neighboring country to which Turkey delivered natural gas, and the first natural gas shipment from Azerbaijan also arrived in the country - he highlighted, also stating that the Hungarian oil company started production at the field it operates in Kazakhstan.

Viktor Orbán also informed that the disbursement of the 100 million dollars committed to the Türk Investment Fund has begun.

"We hope to welcome the investment of as many Turkish companies as possible in Hungary, and we will participate in your economic growth in increasing numbers"

he said.

He also said that at the last summit, a decision was made to establish a drought prevention institute at the European headquarters of the Organization of Turkic States in Budapest, where experts will work together to find answers to environmental challenges. The institute has begun the implementation of its first major program, the aim of which is a Hungarian-Kyrgyz-Uzbek university collaboration, with which they will work on the afforestation of the Fergana Valley.

In connection with the current situation in Europe, the Prime Minister stated that there are two debates prevailing in the European Union today: one is about the war that has been going on for almost a thousand days, and the other is about the ever-deepening European competitiveness. As for the European debate about the war, there is still a massive, pro-war majority in the European Union, even though according to all military experts, the European strategy has already been defeated on the battlefield - he pointed out, continuing by saying that Hungary took over the presidency of the European Union in July, "and I started a peace mission, I am grateful to President Erdogan for helping my work". He added that so many results had been achieved that discussions had begun in Europe about how the war strategy could be transformed into a peace strategy.

Viktor Orbán also informed the meeting participants that the new European Commission will be formed within a few days; there were elections in June, I would like to set up the new committee by December 1.

"I think that we cannot expect any significant change in Brussels' attitude towards the Turkish world. I think we should continue to prepare for a distanced approach. However, I urge the presidents to be as active as possible in our policy regarding Brussels, to take all important issues there"

said the prime minister.

According to his words, Hungary undertakes to represent these issues in European political and economic debates, and the government supports all initiatives that strengthen cooperation between the Turkish world and Europe. Viktor Orbán said about the competitiveness of the union, the competitiveness indicators of the European economies are seriously deteriorating, therefore the Hungarian presidency has prepared a competitiveness pact, which will be negotiated in Budapest on Thursday and, if successful, then adopted.

This competitiveness pact developed by the Hungarian government contains economic measures that would give a strong boost to the development of the European economy.

"We hope to succeed"

he said.

At the end of his speech, Viktor Orbán reminded the audience that they are expected in Budapest in the first half of next year, for the upcoming informal summit.

MTI

Featured image: In the image published by the Prime Minister's Press Office, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán at the press conference held at the summit of the Organization of Turkic States in Bishkek on November 6, 2024.
MTI/Prime Minister's Press Office/Benko Vivien Cher