The involvement of foreign troops in hostilities indicates that the conflict is expanding, the Hungarian prime minister has warned

The reported presence of Western soldiers among the casualties in Ukraine marks a dangerous escalation and risks the "expansion of the war," Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has said.

In an interview with Kossuth radio on Friday, Orban described the current state of affairs as paradoxical, stating that while peace appears closer than ever, the situation has never been as dangerous.

"According to Russian reports, American and French soldiers died in airstrikes carried out [by the Russians] on the territory of Ukraine. That means there are Western soldiers there," he said.

"So we are in a very dangerous situation, because people with military status from Western Europe or the United States can die in Ukraine today. This is what happened. We are praying for them, of course, this is a great loss for everyone, but it clearly shows the danger of escalation, thus the expansion of the war."

Earlier this week, Moscow launched a series of retaliatory strikes in response to Kiev using Western-supplied long-range weapons for attacks deep beyond Russia's internationally recognized borders.

The strikes were launched after Washington and London removed restrictions on Ukraine's use of ATACMS and Storm Shadow missiles respectively. Russian forces hit the positions of US-made missile launchers and facilities being operated by foreign instructors and mercenaries, the defence ministry said.

Moscow has repeatedly said that foreign military personnel are fighting alongside Ukraine's regular army and participating in cross-border raids. According to the foreign ministry, a group of fighters eliminated during an incursion into Bryansk Region last month included US, Polish, and Canadian citizens.

Russian officials have repeatedly described foreign mercenaries operating in the conflict zone as a "legitimate target" for the military, while accusing NATO of direct involvement in the hostilities.

During the interview, Orban also criticized the EU for prolonging the conflict, referring to a resolution adopted by the European Parliament on Thursday to expand military aid to Kiev. This included additional supplies of long-range missiles. He called the move "depressing," as it indicates that many EU leaders "want to continue the war and even increase its intensity."

He also highlighted a lack of an immediate impact on the Ukraine crisis from the election victory of Donald Trump in the US, who promised to end the conflict in 24 hours, and noted that the outgoing administration of President Joe Biden maintains its pro-war stance.

Moscow considers the Ukraine conflict to be a US-driven proxy war against Russia, which has escalated into a de facto global confrontation, after Western nations authorized Kiev to launch long-range attacks deep inside the country using donated weapons.
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