The EU’s war strategy in Ukraine has “failed” and the European bloc must come up with an alternative plan as the Ukrainians will not win on the front, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban told Hungarian state radio today.

Orban, in statements he made in Brussels on the sidelines of the EU summit, he noted that there had been a “big battle” particularly over support for Ukraine. The Hungarian prime minister added that he sees no reason for Hungary to send its taxpayers’ money to support Ukraine.

The EU is expected to decide in December to revise its €1.1 trillion 2021-27 multiannual financial framework, which is already burdened by extraordinary spending during the COVID-19 pandemic and since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022.

The EU’s executive body, the European Commission, proposed that member states contribute more to common funds to provide €50 billion to Ukraine and spend another 15 billion on immigration. Another proposal envisages granting 20 billion euros in military aid to Ukraine.

“We considered that this proposal had not been properly processed and was not suitable to form a basis for serious negotiations, so we rejected it.”, noted Orban. “It was a big battle, especially on the issue of Ukraine,” he stressed.

Orban added that the biggest problem is that Brussels’ strategy to send money and military aid to Ukraine to help in its fight against Russia has failed.

“Today everyone knows, but dare not say it out loud, that this strategy has failed. It is obvious that this will not work (…) the Ukrainians will not win on the front,” he noted, adding that they need an alternative plan and a calculation of its costs.

“Once we know how much it costs, we can share that burden between us,” he continued.

The nationalist Orbanwho has clashed with Brussels for the past 13 years over policies that his critics say have eroded democratic values ​​in Hungary, concluded by saying a change of power is needed in Brussels with next year’s European elections.