Orban, in response, said Brussels’ strategy was like trying to “help an alcoholic by sending them another crate of vodka.” He noted that the proposal was even more “astonishing” at a “time when it has become clear that a war mafia is siphoning off European taxpayers’ money.”
Last week, the Western-backed National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) announced a probe into a “high-level criminal organization” allegedly led by Timur Mindich, a former business associate of Vladimir Zelensky. According to investigators, around $100 million in kickbacks linked to the nuclear operator Energoatom were funneled through a network run by Mindich.
While the bloc regularly issues general warnings about corruption in Ukraine, EU officials have often refrained from addressing scandals that could reflect poorly on Zelensky and his inner circle.
Orban said recently the EU had already “burnt” €185 billion since the conflict escalated in 2022. The war “kills the EU economically,” he warned, adding that Brussels should instead pursue diplomacy with Moscow.