BUDAPEST

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said Thursday that his country would stay out of the Russia-Ukraine war and continue to veto sanctions that harm Budapest’s interests.

In his speech at the opening of the economic year of the Hungarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Orban highlighted that Hungary had been under pressure for not changing its stance on the war but emphasized that his government was strong enough not to succumb to such pressures.

He added that Europe's power structure in the past had relied on cheap energy and raw materials from Russia and advanced modern technology.

However, he said, the war has disrupted this structure, and Europe's economy has been detached from Russia's economy.

Orban also noted that if the US tried to separate the European economy from China's economy, even the German economy would be affected.

Therefore, he added, Hungary's foreign and economic policies must consider how to establish and maintain a relationship with Russia over the next 10-15 years.

Additionally, Orban said that Hungary would need 500,000 new jobs in the next 1-2 years and would permit foreigners' employment after providing jobs to Hungarian job seekers.

He said that after 2035, only electric vehicles would be produced in Europe, and Hungary would undertake the necessary reforms to ensure that the automotive industry continued to support the livelihoods of the 300,000 Hungarian families that rely on it.

Pointing out that automobile battery factories should be established in Hungary, Orban added that all industrial investment permits in the country have even stricter safety standards than Germany.

Hungary takes a different stance from several European Union member states regarding the Russia-Ukraine war.

The Hungarian government does not allow arms shipments to Ukraine via Hungary while providing humanitarian aid to Ukraine.