Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán sharply criticized the European Union on Friday, accusing top EU institutions of being troubled by corruption while still claiming moral authority. In a post shared on social media, Orbán said the EU was “drowning in corruption” and argued that commissioners faced serious charges. He added that both the European Commission and the European Parliament were caught in scandals, yet continued to act as guardians of transparency.
Orbán also claimed the EU was refusing to confront corruption concerns in Ukraine. He said Brussels and Kyiv were “shielding each other instead of confronting the truth” and insisted that corruption in Ukraine should be openly addressed. His message drew widespread attention online and intensified debate within the bloc.
Orbán Attacks Brussels Over Transparency And Ukraine Oversight
In his comments, Viktor Orbán repeated his belief that EU leaders were avoiding honest discussions about how money was being managed both in the EU and in Ukraine. He argued that Brussels expected strict standards from member states but did not apply the same level of scrutiny to Ukraine. These complaints were consistent with the positions he has taken throughout the conflict.
Orbán described the coming days as important for Europe’s future. He said EU leaders were pushing forward decisions about the conflict without a clear mandate from citizens. He also said the United States and Russia continued to hold talks while European leaders were left out of major discussions. He highlighted this divide by saying, “Those with strength act; those without it talk.”
He added that while Washington was focusing on negotiations, the President of the European Commission was working to secure more money for Ukraine and for financing the war. Orbán has long disagreed with this approach and continued to argue that the EU’s priorities were out of balance.
He has also pushed for a peace summit to be held in Budapest in October, following recent talks between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin. Orbán said such a gathering could help open new opportunities for peace. He also noted that European leaders were not part of these discussions, which he described as another sign of Europe’s weakened position.
Warnings On Russian Energy Sanctions And Frozen Assets
During a radio interview earlier on Friday, Viktor Orbán warned that Hungary would sue the EU if Brussels attempted to impose sanctions on Russian gas or oil without unanimous approval from all member states. He argued that such sanctions required full agreement and that any attempt to bypass this rule would break EU law. He stated that if such a decision were made, “we will sue Brussels, because this is an open violation of the law.”
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Hungary remains heavily dependent on Russian energy, and Orbán said Hungarian households would face sharply higher costs if these supplies were removed. He insisted that his government could not support any action that placed families under financial strain or put the country at risk.
Orbán also raised concerns about the more than €200 billion in frozen Russian assets, most of which are held in Belgium. The EU has been discussing using profits from these assets to support Ukraine’s war effort. Orbán warned that Belgium could face serious financial consequences in the future if an international court ruled in favor of Russia. He said Hungary was “peace-oriented in principle”, while suggesting that Belgium was guided mainly by financial motives.
His warnings added new pressure to EU debates on sanctions, Ukraine funding, and the legal risks surrounding frozen Russian assets. The comments continued to highlight Hungary’s position as a major critic of Brussels’ current strategy.