In an exclusive interview with the Daily Caller, Peter Szijjarto (Hungarian foreign minister) blamed President Joe Biden for the current conflict between Ukraine and Russia. He claimed that if the 2020 elections had been different, there wouldn’t have been war.
After speaking at the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), International Ministerial Conference, Szijjarto agreed to sit down with the Caller and discuss a range of issues that affect the U.S. as well as Europe, including the conflict in Ukraine. Szijjarto stated that he believes the war would have been stopped if former President Donald Trump or former Chancellor of Germany Angela Merkel had been in power.
“The European economy is in trouble. Europe is in pain. Peace is the only way to save Europe. This behavior will not bring peace. This is what the U.S. government has been doing. Why? Because communication is key to peace. You would need communication,” Szijjarto stated during the interview. You know that I’m often under a lot of pressure and criticism about why I still speak to the Russians. You can’t afford to not talk to them when your energy supply is almost 100 percent dependent on Russia. Russia is a reality and will continue to be reality in Europe no matter what the outcome of this war.
He continued:
We know that this war wouldn’t have started if the outcome of your 2020 presidential election was different. While I cannot be certain about what didn’t happen I know that I’m pretty certain that it would have happened because, globally, we lack leaders. Trump was a true leader. Chancellor Merkel was a true leader. What I do know is that Chancellor Merkel would have been a great leader. This war would have never been if Donald Trump had been in power. We hope that there will be some American Russian talks on this issue. Don’t be fooled. Don’t let this fool you. This is essential to achieve peace. Russian-American talks.
Szijjarto shared their concerns but mentioned the November G-20 summit in Indonesia which Biden (and Russian President Vladimir Putin) are expected to attend as an opportunity to have a conversation. Politico reports that the suggestion by the Hungarian minister comes despite U.S. officials ensuring that Biden talks with Putin. Biden told CNN’s Jake Tapper that he would not meet with Putin except to talk about Britney Griner, an American serving a nine-year sentence in a Russian prison.
According to the Kiel Institute for the World Economy, the U.S. had spent 52 billion euros on humanitarian, financial, and military aid to Ukraine as of Oct. 3. Hungary called for an immediate ceasefire to end the conflict.
The Daily Caller reached out to the White House regarding Szijjarto’s comments, but they didn’t immediately respond.