The EU and NATO accelerate military aid to kyiv and the Hungarian Orbán says he will not win the war

But this determination is not shared by all European partners. The Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban (which until the outbreak of the war was Vladimir Putin’s main ally in the EU), has caused a new controversy when affirming in an interview Bloomberg that Ukraine cannot win the war against Russia. Orbán has blocked the last tranche of 500 million euros of military aid to Ukraine from the European Peace Support Fund.

“Taking into account the numbers, taking into account the environment, taking into account that NATO is not willing to send troops, it is obvious that there is no (chance of) a victory for the poor Ukrainians on the battlefield. This is my position,” says Orbán. For the Hungarian prime minister, the solution would be an immediate ceasefire as a prelude to the start of peace negotiations.

[La ‘coalición de cazas’ F-16 para ayudar a Ucrania despega con extrema cautela en la UE]

Orbán’s controversial statements have received an immediate response (although without quoting him directly) from the head of EU diplomacy. “The ministers do not share the theses that have been heard today about that, since Ukraine cannot win this war, it is best not to support it”, Borrell assured at the end of a meeting of the 27 defense officials held in Brussels.

“On the contrary, we think that Ukraine is defending itself in an efficient way, that has made Putin’s plans for a quick victory have vanished. And we must continue to support their defense”, insisted the High Representative for the Common Foreign and Security Policy.

In his appearance, Borrell gave the latest figures available on the EU’s military support for Ukraine, particularly with regard to the shipment of ammunition. The Twenty-seven got engaged in March to provide kyiv with up to a million shells with a plan based on three pillars: the delivery of stocks available in each Member State, the joint purchase of weapons and the reinforcement of the production capacity of the European industry.

With the first pillar, whose validity expires on May 31, it has already been possible to deliver to Ukraine a total of 220,000 artillery ammunition of different calibers and 1,300 missiles. In addition, the European Defense Agency has launched a joint purchase plan involving 25 countries (including Spain) to acquire 155 caliber projectiles, with a budget of 1,000 million euros. In parallel, both Germany and France are negotiating with their respective industries to increase production.

[El plan (¿fallido?) de Berlín para desactivar el “chantaje” de Hungría en la guerra de Ucrania]

With the 3,600 million euros that have been spent in Ukraine from the European Peace Support Fund, a total of 10,000 million in military support have been mobilized, adding national contributions. “And this military support must continue. I am glad that pilot training for F-16 fighters has finally started in several countries. It will take time, but the sooner the better.Borrell said.

Also the Secretary General of NATO, Jens Stoltenberg (who has participated in the meeting of EU defense ministers) has rejected Orbán’s diagnosis that Ukraine cannot win the war. “President Putin made several major strategic mistakes when he invaded Ukraine. Partly because he totally underestimated the Ukrainians, their bravery, their determination, their courage,” he replied.

“But he also totally underestimated NATO allies and partners when it comes to our determination, our willingness to support Ukraine. And this has allowed the Ukrainians to counterattack and retake territory“, Stoltenberg argues. “So I am absolutely sure that Ukraine has the ability, the will, the courage. But also that NATO allies have the commitment and determination to support them so that they can liberate (their territory) and ensure that President Putin does not win this war,” he said.

The Secretary General of the Atlantic Alliance considers it a “good idea” to start training Ukrainian pilots so that they can fly F-16 fighters. “This is an important step that in part will allow us to deliver fighter jets at some pointbut it is also sending a very clear signal that we are there for the long term and that Russia cannot wait for us to leave.”

[Todo lo que se sabe del FCAS, el poderoso caza que tendrá España para jubilar al Eurofighter]

For her part, the Dutch Defense Minister, Kajsa Ollongren, explained that the countries that have so far joined the ‘coalition of fighter jets’ are his own, Denmark, Belgium and UK. The French government has said it is also willing to participate, while Stoltenberg has let it slip that Germany is also interested in pilot training.

“We are working on the specific calendar to start training and we believe it is important to do it as soon as possible, but we needed the green light from washington (which arrived during this weekend). And it is a joint effort with Denmark, Belgium, the United Kingdom and other allies, a coordinated effort,” Ollongren explained.

“At the moment we are talking about training the pilots, we are not talking about the planes themselves yet. But of course it makes sense for countries like the Netherlands to transition from F-16s to F-35s,” says the Dutch Defense Minister. “Investing in training Ukrainian pilots for F-16s is something that will take results later, during the war or after the war. But it is always a good investment, because it is an investment in Urania’s security,” she insisted.

Spain will not join this ‘fighter coalition’ because it does not have F-16 aircraft. “What Spain has are F-18, it has Eurofighter. Each combat aircraft has its own training and formation dynamics and therefore we could not provide that training for the F-16“, has indicated the Minister of Defense, Margarita Robles.

In any case, Robles has asserted that our country has already sent to Ukraine six Leopard tanks and it has another four in the final phase of repair. In addition, Spain participates in the joint ammunition purchase program for Kiev, has trained more than a thousand Ukrainian soldiers in Toledo and has received more than 60 wounded combatants at the military hospital in Zaragoza.

“Spain is going to contribute what it can and what it has according to its availability. But we also think the training work and the work of accompanying the wounded and also training the military medics are very important,” insists the Defense Minister.

Will sending fighter jets to Ukraine cause a new escalation of the war? “There is only one person responsible, who is the one who is attacking, which is Vladimir Putin. The Ukrainian people are defending themselves, complying with what is a basic principle within the scope of international law. Who is escalating the war is Putin when every day he continues to attack the civilian population. That is what we can never lose sight of”, Robles has settled.