Orbán proposes signature drive, claims ‘Europe has decided to go to war’

The seventh summit of the European Political Community was held in Copenhagen on Thursday, where EU leaders discussed support for Ukraine, the enlargement of the Union, and Europe’s overall security situation.

After the talks, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán told journalists he sharply opposed what he called the European “war plan” with Hungary’s own “peace plan,” announcing he would propose a nationwide signature drive against Brussels’ approach.

On the agenda: European armament and support for Ukraine

The Copenhagen meeting was chaired by European Council President António Costa and Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Parliament President Roberta Metsola also in attendance.

The discussions focused on Europe’s security and continued support for Ukraine. Leaders highlighted three main priorities:

• Support for Ukraine and Europe’s security: increasing military aid, strengthening NATO’s eastern flank, and accelerating Ukraine’s accession process.
• European defence capacities: boosting readiness by 2030 and launching joint armament programs, from missile defence to drone protection.
• Sanctions and financial aid: preparing a 19th sanctions package targeting Russia’s revenue streams, while so far the EU and its member states have provided EUR 177.5 billion in support to Ukraine.

EU leaders agreed that Ukraine must continue to receive military and financial support – through arms deliveries, direct financial assistance, and EU funds to keep the country’s economy functioning.

The 19th sanctions package also came up, aiming to further restrict Russia’s revenue sources, while the EU and member states have already provided a total of €177.5 billion in support to Kyiv.

“Today, European leaders had their first discussion on how to mobilise further funds for Ukraine. And the message is clear: Russia has to understand that Ukraine’s partners – including Europeans – have the will and the means to continue supporting Kyiv until a just and lasting peace is achieved,” said António Costa, President of the European Council.

What did Viktor Orbán say?

The Hungarian Prime Minister argued that EU leaders assume the war can be won militarily, whereas Hungary’s plan is based on diplomacy, insisting that the conflict has only a diplomatic solution.

“On the table there is a European war plan, whose essence is that the war can be won on the front line. Ukraine can defeat Russia, and Europe must provide every tool, weapon, and financial means to make that happen,” Orbán said.

He called this approach flawed because nobody knows how long it would take or how much it would cost Europe. “We are burning money in Ukraine, which only benefits the Americans, because we are the ones buying their weapons,” he added.

“We will need all our strength to stay out of this war,” the Prime Minister stressed.

Orbán outlined two possible scenarios: Europe could either sit at the negotiating table as Washington’s “little brother,” or it could try to reach an agreement with Moscow on its own. Hungary supports the latter course, even if it is currently a minority view within the EU.

Ukraine’s path to EU membership

At the Copenhagen summit, EU leaders once again underlined that Ukraine has implemented reforms and has started down the path to membership. António Costa said the time had come for the EU to take steps as well. On the same day, the European Commission announced that Ukraine had successfully completed a detailed policy “screening” process, marking another milestone in its accession.

Orbán, however, warned that Ukraine’s integration would mean bringing the war into the EU. He argued that if Kyiv became a member, most EU funds would go towards supporting Ukraine’s economy, pushing other member states’ modernisation plans into the background.

“Hungarians do not want to be in an integration framework with Ukrainians – not in NATO, nor in the European Union,” Orbán said. He added that Hungary is ready for bilateral agreements but does not want to tie its fate to that of a country at war.

Dispute with Croatia and relations with Zelenskyy

At the summit, Orbán also met Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenković to discuss the Adriatic oil pipeline. While the two had previously clashed over whether Hungary could replace Russian oil with imports via Croatia, Orbán now described their exchange as a “de-escalation meeting.”

He noted that in recent weeks “pulses had risen too high,” and the two sides agreed to calm tensions. Hungary and Croatia, he said, are friendly countries that may have disputes, but such conflicts should be resolved rather than escalated.

Journalists also asked whether a separate meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was planned. Orbán replied that there was no such plan at the moment, although foreign ministers are working on preparing a high-level meeting. The process, however, has not yet reached the stage where a date could be set.