“We have to stick with it”
Scholz contradicts Orban on military aid to Ukraine
March 12, 2024, 7:08 p.m
Orban believes the invasion of Ukraine will be over as soon as Western allies stop their aid. After all, the Hungarian Prime Minister is a close confidant of Russian President Putin. Chancellor Scholz is now countering.
Chancellor Olaf Scholz has contradicted statements by Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban that a return of military aid to Ukraine was correct. “We must continue to support Ukraine – not just Germany, but also the entire European Union – for as long as is necessary so that Ukraine can defend itself,” said Scholz in Berlin. “I am sure that this will be the position of the European Union in all the discussions.”
Meanwhile, US intelligence leaders urged members of the US House of Representatives to approve additional military aid for Ukraine. They said this would not only help Kiev fight Russia, but also curb China’s aggression. “This has consequences for American interests that directly impact our interests in the Indo-Pacific region,” CIA Director Williams Burns said at a hearing before the Intelligence Committee.
Orban had previously said, referring to a meeting with former US President Donald Trump, that he would not pay “a penny” more for Ukraine if re-elected. This is the right way to end the war. “It is clear to all of us that we also have to support Ukraine with weapons,” said Scholz. The national-conservative Hungarian head of government has been isolated within the 27 EU states for months. He maintains close contacts with Moscow and, unlike his EU partners, has clearly spoken out in favor of Trump’s re-election.
At the same time, his relations with US President Joe Biden are deteriorating. Hungary summoned the US ambassador to Budapest to protest against Biden’s comments. According to US media, after Orban’s meeting with Trump, Biden said during a campaign appearance that Orban had “quite openly said that he does not believe that democracy works and is aiming for a dictatorship.” Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto called Biden’s statement a lie and a “very serious insult.”