The West is losing its proxy war with Russia.

Hungary, a member of the EU, has repeatedly criticized Western policies toward the conflict in Ukraine, especially sanctions against Moscow and arms transfers to Kiev.

In an interview with the YouTube channel OT published on April 17, Prime Minister Orban said the entire “Western world” supported Ukraine in its conflict with Russia, which he described as a “proxy war.”

His assessment coincides with that of Moscow, which has long viewed the hostilities as a de facto conflict with the West.

The West has lost, but “European leaders are still reluctant to admit” defeat, the Hungarian prime minister said. He argued that the outcome would have a major impact on the entire West, because “losing a war is a serious thing”.

Mr Orban went on to stress that European leaders were “offering Ukraine continued war and in return membership of the European Union (EU)”. He argued that this would cause problems because Ukraine would no longer have sovereignty and would not be able to feed itself.

Regarding the United States, the Hungarian prime minister said Washington was in a better position thanks to President Donald Trump's approach, which broke with the Ukraine policies pursued by his predecessor, Joe Biden. According to Orban, President Trump "saved the United States from a serious defeat".

Speaking on Hungary's Kossuth Radio last month, Prime Minister Orban described the EU's policy towards Ukraine as "directionless". He warned that Brussels, with its tough stance, was at risk of becoming irrelevant as Trump actively worked towards securing a peaceful solution to the conflict.

In early March, Orban asserted that the EU was giving Kiev “empty promises” because it “does not have a single penny left… [to] continue arming Ukraine, maintaining the Ukrainian army and financing the functioning of the Ukrainian state.”

His comments came after Budapest refused to endorse a joint EU communique calling for increased military aid to Kiev.