Hungarian PM Orban Predicts Russia-Ukraine War Ends Next Year

Hungarian PM Viktor Orban. (Wikimedia Commons/Belgian Presidency of the Council of the European Union /Julyen Nizet)

JAKARTA - Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban predicts the armed conflict in Ukraine will end in 2025.

"The war (in Ukraine) will end in 2025. This war will end with a peace agreement or with the collapse of one of the war parties," he predicted in an interview with the Magyar Nemzet newspaper, launching TASS December 24.

PM Orban further warned, "America and Europe have spent about 300 billion euros on war (in Ukraine)."

"With this money, we could achieve a rapid increase in living standards across Europe," he said.

"We could just lift the entire Balkans to the European level of development. We could limit migration and build a completely new European defense system. But this money is wasted," explained PM Orban.

PM Orban added that the war in Ukraine only causes death and destruction.

"Millions of people have left Ukraine, whose infrastructure, transportation, and energy systems have been destroyed. This country will not be able to support itself economically in the future," explained PM Orban.

Previously, the Hungarian government repeatedly stated that the Ukraine conflict could not be resolved on the battlefield. The only place to make peace is on the negotiating table.

PM Orban confirmed he relied on hope to achieve this goal at the inauguration of US President-elect Donald Trump, who had promised to tackle the situation in Ukraine.

He believes the Republican's return to the White House makes "the world will be a safer place."