Deaths of Western fighters in Ukraine conflict is ‘dangerous escalation’ – Orban

The reported presence of Western soldiers among the casualties in Ukraine marks a dangerous escalation and risk of an “expansion of the war,” Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has said.

In an interview with Kossuth radio on Friday, Orban described the current state of affairs as paradoxical, stating that while peace appears closer than ever, the situation has never been as dangerous.

“According to Russian reports, American and French soldiers died in airstrikes carried out by the Russians on the territory of Ukraine. That means there are Western soldiers there,” he said.

Earlier this week, Moscow launched a series of retaliatory strikes in response to Kiev using Western-supplied long-range weapons for attacks inside Russia’s internationally recognized borders. This came after Washington removed restrictions on Ukraine’s use of ATACMS for such strikes. Russian forces hit the positions of US-made missile launchers and facilities hosting foreign instructors and mercenaries, the defence ministry said.

Moscow has repeatedly said that foreign military personnel are fighting alongside Ukraine’s regular army and participating in cross-border raids. According to the foreign ministry, a group of fighters eliminated during an incursion into Bryansk Region last month included US, Polish, and Canadian citizens.

In Orban’s view, the presence of Western troops “clearly shows the danger of escalation, and thus the expansion of the war.”

Russian officials have repeatedly described foreign mercenaries operating in the conflict zone as a “legitimate target” for the military, while accusing NATO of direct involvement in the hostilities.

During the interview, Orban also criticized the EU for prolonging the conflict, referring to a resolution adopted by the European Parliament on Thursday to expand military aid to Kiev. This included additional supplies of long-range missiles. He called the move “depressing,” as it indicates that many EU leaders “want to continue the war and even increase its intensity.”

He also highlighted a lack of an immediate impact on the Ukraine crisis from the election victory of Donald Trump in the US, who promised to end the conflict in 24 hours, and noted that the outgoing administration of President Joe Biden maintains its pro-war stance.

Moscow considers the Ukraine conflict to be a US-driven proxy war against Russia, which has escalated into a de facto global confrontation, after Western nations authorized Kiev to launch long-range attacks deep inside the country using donated weapons.