Bombshell leaked audio reveals Orban may go to war on the side of Russia
In a startling development, a leaked audio recording from 2023 has surfaced, featuring Hungarian Defence Minister Kristóf Szalay-Bobrovniczky announcing a significant shift in Hungary’s military posture.
The recording reveals the minister stating, “we are building a capable, combat-ready Hungarian army.” This declaration is part of a broader strategy to move Hungary into “war mode [phase 0],” abandoning its previous peace-oriented approach. The audio, sampled at various intervals, includes critical statements such as “especially as a result of a process,” and “In its implementation and execution, clearly and in the most extreme way, to break this process with a peace mentality.”
The post warned of an impending scandal involving a leaked classified document that “it’s probably some sort of war plan, although what we know for sure, it’s definitely anti-peace.”
The audio recording, therefore, appears to corroborate these allegations, with Szalay-Bobrovniczky stating, “The ancestors of the Orbán government decided that indeed,” and “This means that our break will be carried out completely.” He further emphasized, “Our break with the peace mentality, which we dared to do in public, which we dared to do as young people.”
The full quote from the leaked audio, as translated, is particularly revealing: “The fifth Orbán government has decided to build a truly effective, combat-ready Hungarian armed force. This means breaking with our previous peacekeeping activities. We are familiar with those, but above all, as a result of a process, we are breaking with the peace mentality.
Naturally, the process that the public came to know as rejuvenation [firing senior, NATO-trained officers en masse] is simply the easiest way to change this — to break with the peace mentality and move toward the zero phase of the path leading to war. I have tasked Lieutenant General Dr. Gábor Böröndi [as new chief of staff of the Hungarian Armed Forces] with the execution and implementation of this.”
The implications of this shift are profound, especially considering Hungary’s membership in NATO and the European Union. The leaked U.S. document from April 13, 2023, reported by NBC News, highlighted Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s perception of the U.S. as an adversary, further complicating Hungary’s international standing.
The 2023 National Military Strategy of Hungary, as outlined on defence.hu, underscores the urgency of modernizing the armed forces amid regional tensions, particularly the conflict in Ukraine.
It states, “Hungary does not consider any state an enemy. Nonetheless, a renewed national armed forces is more vital in the rapidly changing security environment of the 21st century than at any time following the Cold War.”
The audio also mentions the appointment of “Major General Dr. Gábor Böröndi” to lead this militaristic phase, with Szalay-Bobrovniczky noting, “the zero phase leading to war.” This rhetoric has sparked alarm, with concerns that Hungary might be aligning more closely with Russia and China, as suggested by the U.S. document. The backlash has been swift, with demands for action against Orbán and questions about the target of this “war mode,” such as “And war mode is against who? Ukraine? Romania?”
As Hungary navigates this controversial path, the international community watches closely, with the potential for significant repercussions within NATO and the EU.
The leaked audio, combined with the broader context of Orbán’s foreign policy, paints a picture of a nation at a crossroads, balancing its commitments to Western alliances against a seemingly aggressive military posture. The full impact of this shift remains to be seen, but the statements from Szalay-Bobrovniczky leave little doubt about the direction Hungary is heading.