Need to Prepare for War: Hungarian PM Orban Warns EU Economy Will Fall Over Sanctions
14:16 GMT 15.10.2022 (Updated: 17:04 GMT 12.04.2023)
© AFP 2023 / ALEX HALADA
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BUDAPEST (Sputnik) - Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said on Saturday that his country needs an army capable of acting as a deterrent force and ensuring peace in the event the turbulent economic situation sparks war in Europe.
"We cannot bury our heads in the sand like ostriches. We have to face reality. If this continues, sanctions will rock Europe, the continent's economy will fall to its knees, people could be in danger, and it seems we need to prepare for a protracted war. We, Hungarians, need a deterrent army, ready to strike, able to guarantee peace, because those who are not ready to act and are not disciplined cannot be successful, those who have no strength will have no truth, and those who have no faith will have nothing to fight for," Orban said at the oath-taking ceremony for voluntary military recruits.
In March, Orban said that Hungary would enhance its army capabilities in the next decade as only a powerful national army can ensure the country's security, adding that European nations should not rely only on the United States in defense issues.
A razor wire fence installed by Hungarian soldiers is seen at the border between Hungary and Slovenia near Tornyiszentmiklos, 245 kms southwest of Budapest, Hungary, Thursday, Sept. 24, 2015
© AP Photo / Gyorgy Varga/MTI
The German armored fighting vehicle Lynx, equipped with a machine gun and an anti-tank missile, was displayed during the ceremony on Saturday. According to Hungary's Defense Ministry, German company Rheinmetall Landsysteme will supply the country with 46 Lynx vehicles by 2023, with 172 expected to be domestically-produced by 2029.
Budapest has been opposing the EU's sanction policy against Moscow, as Brussels slapped several rounds of restrictions on Russia since the start of the special military op in Ukraine in February. The sanctions exacerbated fuel market issues, resulting in a major energy crisis across Europe, with record-high inflation and skyrocketing cost of living.
