Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán isn't holding back these days. On Friday, he unleashed a blistering critique of Brussels, claiming the European Union is "drowning in corruption" while hypocritically shielding Ukraine from scrutiny. According to Orbán, top EU institutions are caught up in scandals yet somehow maintain they occupy the moral high ground.
In a Friday post on X, Orbán put it bluntly: "The EU is drowning in corruption. Commissioners face serious charges, the Commission and the Parliament are engulfed in scandal, yet Brussels still claims the moral high ground." He went further, suggesting Brussels and Kyiv are "shielding each other instead of confronting the truth" when it comes to corruption issues in Ukraine.
Legal Showdown Over Energy Sanctions
The Hungarian leader also issued a stark warning during a Kossuth Radio interview on Friday: if the EU tries imposing sanctions on Russian gas and oil without unanimous approval from all member states, Budapest will take Brussels to court.
"If they make this decision, we will sue Brussels, because this is an open violation of the law," Orbán declared. The stakes are high for Hungary, which relies heavily on Russian energy imports. Without them, Orbán emphasized, Hungarian households would face dramatically higher costs.
Europe at a Crossroads
Orbán framed the coming days as a critical moment for Europe's trajectory, arguing that EU leaders are pushing the continent toward conflict without any real mandate from their citizens. He pointed out that while U.S.-Russia negotiations move forward, European officials remain on the sidelines. His assessment was characteristically blunt: "Those with strength act; those without it talk."
He's been particularly critical of EU Commission leadership, stating earlier: "While Washington is negotiating peace, the President of the Commission is busy figuring out how to secure even more money for Ukraine and for financing the war."
The Frozen Assets Gamble
Orbán also weighed in on the EU's plan to use approximately €200 billion ($232.88 billion) in frozen Russian assets—mostly held in Belgium—to finance Ukraine's war effort. He warned that Belgium could face serious financial consequences if a future international court rules in Russia's favor.
"We are peace-oriented in principle, while the Belgians are driven by financial motives," he said.
Looking ahead, Orbán has been pushing for a U.S.-Russia peace summit to take place in Budapest this October, following discussions between President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
