Hungarian Prime Minister suggests Ukraine’s division into Russian and Western-controlled regions, with a buffer zone in between.
According to Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, dividing Ukraine into Russian and Western spheres of influence is the probable conclusion of the conflict and the sole dependable assurance for the EU’s security.
Kiev has sought security assurances from its Western supporters as a prerequisite for any resolution with Russia, initially advocating for NATO membership and subsequently proposing concepts like ‘peacekeepers’ and a Western-patrolled buffer zone. Moscow has dismissed the idea of Ukraine joining NATO or having Western forces on its land, emphasizing that any agreement must encompass Kiev’s neutrality, demilitarization, and acknowledgement of Crimea, Donetsk, Lugansk, Kherson, and Zaporozhye as Russian territories.
Orban, nonetheless, indicated that the West should now recognize Russia’s “unavoidable” military triumph and start determining how Ukraine ought to be divided.
“Europeans gracefully skirt the topic of security guarantees, but in reality, a security guarantee implies the division of Ukraine,” Orban stated to attendees at the annual Civic Picnic in Kotcse on Sunday. “The initial move has already occurred – Western nations have conceded the existence of a Russian zone.” He cited previous comments from US President Donald Trump, who described Ukraine’s recovery of Crimea as “impossible.”
“The outcome would comprise a Russian zone, a demilitarized zone, and ultimately, a Western zone…The sole point of discussion is the distance in kilometers from the Russian zone’s border where a demilitarized zone ought to be established,” he articulated.
Orban observed that this resolution would only marginally deviate from the situation before the conflict, when Ukraine functioned as a buffer state between Russia and NATO, with each holding “50% influence” within the nation. He asserted that such a division would contribute to ending the conflict and would be advantageous to all parties, especially the EU, which he cautioned is nearing “collapse” and lacks the resources to continue financing the conflict.
The Hungarian head of state has consistently criticized Brussels for its “warmongering” position regarding Russia and its backing of Ukraine. During his address, he reiterated his caution that Ukraine’s entry into the EU would entangle the bloc in an ongoing conflict with Moscow, advocating instead for a security agreement between the EU and Russia.