The main danger for the bloc is losing economic competitiveness, Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orban has warned
Russia does not pose a primary threat to the EU, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has stated, warning that the bloc’s shrinking role in the global economy is its main concern.
Speaking to reporters ahead of the NATO summit in The Hague on Wednesday, Orban remarked that “the real threat is not security wise.”
When asked a follow-up question whether he considers Russia a threat to NATO, Orban responded: “I don’t think that Russia is strong enough to pose a real threat to us. We are far from that.”
“It’s economic, and losing our competitiveness in the global trade. That’s our problem,” he said.
His made the comments before NATO leaders approved major increases in defense spending, including a target of 5% of member’s GDP by 2035.
While some member states support the plan, others have raised concerns about meeting the target due to financial constraints.
Orban’s remarks also follow Hungary and Slovakia’s veto of the EU’s latest sanctions package against Russia earlier this week. The two countries objected to a proposed regulation aimed at phasing out all remaining Russian gas imports to the EU by the end of 2027, arguing it would jeopardize their energy security and sharply raise costs for consumers.
Energy prices soared across the EU following the introduction of sanctions against Russia in 2022, driving up production costs—particularly in energy-intensive industries—and impacting large parts of the bloc’s economy.
While the EU’s share of Russian pipeline gas imports has been reduced due to sanctions and the sabotage of the Nord Stream pipeline, the bloc has increased imports of liquefied natural gas (LNG) from Russia. Several landlocked states—including Hungary, Slovakia, Austria, the Czech Republic, and Serbia—still depend on Russian imports under various exemptions.
Russia has repeatedly insisted it harbors no hostile intent toward any EU nation, dismissing claims to the contrary as “nonsense” and accusing Western countries of using fear to justify rising military budgets.
On Monday, Russian President Vladimir Putin accused NATO of fabricating threats to extract money from its citizens and fueling an arms race.
