By Haifa Chairunisa
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has claimed that European leaders have formed what he described as a “war council” to prepare for victory in a potential third world war, warning that the continent is drifting toward a large-scale global conflict.
Speaking at an anti-war rally in Miskolc on Saturday (January 17, 2026), Orbán said he had witnessed the shift firsthand during meetings of European Union leaders. “I sat there among them, 27 prime ministers and heads of state around the table, and I can say unequivocally that they are preparing for war,” Orbán said, as quoted by the International Business Times.
Orbán argued that the EU has abandoned diplomacy in favor of military planning, warning that the bloc is steadily moving toward direct confrontation with Russia. His remarks come amid heightened geopolitical tensions, with the war in Ukraine continuing unabated and U.S. President Donald Trump unsettling NATO allies through renewed efforts to annex Greenland.
Against what he described as a backdrop of “global chaos,” Orbán said Europe’s political elites have made a strategic choice to prepare for a direct and potentially catastrophic clash with Moscow.
The 62-year-old leader, a frequent critic of EU policy, portrayed recent closed-door meetings in Brussels as military planning sessions rather than political discussions. According to Orbán, leaders of major European powers—particularly France and Germany—are no longer focused on peace initiatives but on securing Russia’s total defeat.
He claimed discussions centered on forcing Moscow to pay reparations and reclaiming billions of dollars currently allocated to supporting Ukraine. “These are not children sitting there,” Orbán warned, suggesting that current financial and military commitments could serve as the opening phase of a wider global war.
Orbán said Hungary would remain isolated from the conflict, pledging that his government would neither deploy troops nor provide funding to the front lines. He argued that financial restraint was essential, warning that involvement in the conflict could devastate Hungary’s economy. “If you don’t have money, you don’t have a grand plan,” he said.
EU officials swiftly rejected Orbán’s characterization of a “war council,” calling it misleading. They said the meetings in question were focused on defensive security measures and humanitarian assistance aimed at preventing broader conflict. EU officials also accused Orbán of advancing narratives favorable to Moscow to bolster domestic political support.
Concerns about a potential global conflict have also been voiced beyond Europe. Former Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (SBY) recently warned of the risk of a “major disaster,” including the possibility of a third world war.
In a post on X dated January 19, 2025, Yudhoyono said he had closely followed global developments over the past three years and was deeply concerned by recent international dynamics. “I am anxious and worried that something bad will happen—especially the possibility of World War III,” he wrote.
While acknowledging that such a conflict is not inevitable, Yudhoyono warned that opportunities to prevent it are narrowing. He noted similarities between current global conditions and the periods preceding World War I and World War II, including the rise of aggressive leaders, the formation of rival alliances, military buildups, and intensifying geopolitical tensions.
Yudhoyono said history shows that despite clear warning signs, nations often fail to act decisively to prevent war. He urged global leaders to take responsibility, cautioning that silence and inaction could enable catastrophe.
He called on the United Nations to convene an emergency General Assembly to discuss concrete steps to avert a global crisis. Acknowledging criticisms of the UN’s limited influence, Yudhoyono said history should not record the organization as having stood idle.
“Even if the call seems like crying in the desert, it could still spark awareness and action,” he said. “If there is a will, there is a way.”
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