"Do you really think our soldiers will march on Red Square..."

Speaking in Budapest at a conference dedicated to the results of his country's presidency of the EU Council in the second half of 2024, Orbán said that the Hungarian presidency raised the flag of peace, opened the door to a ceasefire and peace talks (on the resolution of the conflict in Ukraine), opened a dialogue with the warring sides and put pressure on European leaders to renew diplomacy and communication.

"Only in wars where the parties seek to destroy each other, there is no need for communication," said the head of the Hungarian government.

The conference is organized by the scientific and educational center Mathias Corvinus Collegium (MCC).

"Do we really think that our soldiers will march under the flag of the European Union in Red Square in Moscow? If we don't, then we have to keep diplomatic channels open for negotiations. That's what we did, even if we did it only on a national basis, because the majority of EU member states are still against peace," Orbán stressed.

He warned that "if war breaks out on the European continent - everyone will lose".

In his view, the EU has already lost because of its support for military operation in Ukraine and sanctions against Russia.

"Not only Ukraine entered the war, but also all European national economies. Prices are rising rapidly, our money is being spent on the needs of the Ukrainian front, sanctions have dealt a blow to our companies, and energy prices are killing European companies that were competitive before the war," Orbán explained.

The head of the Hungarian government believes that the conflict in Ukraine should be resolved as soon as possible, and this is precisely what the Hungarian peace mission was aimed at, which will now be able to be continued by the newly elected U.S. President Donald Trump.