Ukraine's collapse would be a disaster for Hungary, says Orbán

Viktor Orbán addressed the city of Szeged on Sunday, as he continues to rally supporters on his "Country tour."

The Hungarian Prime Minister - for the first time after 15 years in power - faces real resistance at the upcoming elections, and his campaign emphasising his experience in international politics. During his speech in the southern city, he addressed supporters on Hungary's foreign policy.

"Make no mistake: Ukraine’s collapse would be a disaster for Hungary. So the collapse of Ukraine is not only in Hungary's interest, but we must do a great deal to prevent it from happening. Countryside people - and real estate speculators - understand perfectly that the value of your piece of land is influenced not only by the condition of that land, but also by the condition of the neighbouring piece of land, and also by who lives there."

Orbán also said that Ukraine relies on Hungary for 44% of its electricity and 56% of the natural gas it consumes, adding that a significant portion of this energy comes from Russian sources.

Hungarian officials have previously referred to those figures when responding to criticism over Hungary's relations with Russia.

One day earlier, Orbán commented on the Russian invasion of Ukraine saying that "it is hard to tell who attacked whom", a statement that diverged from the prevailing international consensus on the war.

In a speech on Saturday, he reiterated his position that providing assistance to Ukraine in the war against Russia contributes to a longer conflict and, in his view, does not serve Ukraine's interests.