THE Hungarian Prime Minister, Viktor Orbán eassessed today that Ukraine cannot win the war against Russia, and favored negotiations with Moscow to end the conflict.

The nationalist leader, who opposes the other members of the European Union on the issue of this war and refuses to militarily aid neighboring Ukrainerepeated his calls for a truce.

“It is clear that the military solution is not going forward,” he said during an economic forum in Qatar, estimating that the Russian invasion in 2022 is a result of “failure of diplomacy”.

“If we look at the reality, the numbers, the context and the fact that NATO is not ready to send troops, it is obvious that there will be no victory for the poor Ukrainians on the battlefield. This is my position,” Orbán said.

The Hungarian prime minister, who maintains ties to the Kremlin, is one of the few leaders, the only one in the EU, who has not visited Kiev.

EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell confirmed today that Hungary is refusing to release a new military aid package to Ukraine, saying he was “certain” that aid would be released.

For Viktor Orbán, a new European security deal must be negotiated with Moscow after a truce. “As a state, Ukraine is certainly very important but in the longer term, from a strategic point of view, what is at stake is the future security of Europe.”

“It is clear that without the US, there is no security architecture for Europe. And this war will not be able to stop unless the Russians come to an agreement” with Washington, he added.

Hungary, which depends on Russia for half of its energy needs, is negotiating a gas import deal with Qatar, he also said, hoping to start deliveries in 2026.