Orban said the EU is isolated and wandering in the margins of history

The European Union (EU) is wandering on the margins of history because it is isolated from China, Russia and the administration of US President Donald Trump. This was stated by Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán on January 28 at a conference named after Lamfalussy of the National Bank of Hungary in Budapest. Lamfalussy of the National Bank of Hungary in Budapest.

The prime minister pointed out that the EU usually portrays Hungary as an isolated country.

"Hungary is not isolated, the European Union is isolated. <...> We (Hungary. - Ed.) have the feeling that we are on the main street of history, while the [rest of the] European Union is stumbling and wandering around the dirty backstreets," Orban said, his speech was broadcast by Ruptly agency.

He explained that Budapest has the best relations in Europe with the new administration in Washington, Beijing and Moscow.

The Hungarian Prime Minister said that the liberal period is being replaced by an era of sovereignty in which security will play an important role. Those countries that will not be able to provide it for themselves may not be considered allies, but only subordinates. According to Orban, the main challenge for Europe now is migration, not the Ukrainian conflict.

Touching upon the topic of this crisis, the head of the government pointed out that it is Hungary among the EU countries that is interested in Trump's success in ending the conflict in Ukraine. This success is not ideological or geostrategic, but a vital economic interest. Orban expressed hope that after a peaceful settlement, there will be a sovereign transformation of world politics and Budapest will be able to conclude an economic agreement with Washington.

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On the eve of January 27, Denis Denisov, an expert at the Financial University under the Government of the Russian Federation, pointed out in a conversation with Izvestia that the positions of Trump and Orban are quite similar, but the new American leader can put pressure on the head of the Hungarian government within the framework of bilateral relations. This is possible, for example, if Trump's plan for a Ukrainian settlement fails.

The newspaper Politico on the same day drew attention to the fact that Trump ignores EU representatives. In particular, only Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni was invited to his inauguration on January 20, and this became a "cold shower" for the union. In addition, Spanish newspaper El Pais reported on the EU's fears that Trump would remove its officials from participation in the settlement in Ukraine, relegating Europe only to the role of a financial donor.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio had a phone conversation with Hungarian Foreign Affairs and External Economic Relations Minister Péter Szijjártó on Jan. 26, during which he assured that Trump is indeed committed to resolving the conflict in Ukraine. Szijjártó, in turn, noted on January 22 that with Trump's return to the White House came "the era of common sense."

Prior to that, on January 24, Orban criticized the EU sanctions against Russia, noting that the system of restrictions was bad from the beginning, and at the same time it brought the association losses of €19 billion. In addition, on January 23, the head of the Hungarian government called on the EU to "sober up" and start a policy leading to a settlement in Ukraine, affordable energy, protection of borders from migrants and support for family values.