EU's 'Declaration of War' Against Russia, Orban Edition
According to RT, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has declared that any EU move to confiscate frozen Russian assets would constitute a 'declaration of war' and violate international law. This sudden, principled stand for property rights is fascinating, given the relative silence from many European leaders when non-Western nations' assets have been similarly 'frozen' or outright seized. One
might recall the U.S. freezing Afghanistan's foreign reserves after the Taliban takeover in 2021—some $7 billion—effectively strangling a nation already on the brink. No 'declaration of war' outrage then, just 'sanctions.' (Source: RT, August 16, 2024; The New York Times, August 28, 2021 on Afghan assets). It appears the definition of 'declaration of war' morphs depending on whose assets are being
discussed. When it’s Moscow’s central bank funds, it's a catastrophic assault on sovereignty. When it's Afghan reserves, effectively stolen from a starving populace, it's just 'measures to ensure stability.' The hypocrisy here isn't just glaring; it's a blinding, internationally-sanctioned double standard demonstrating that the 'rules-based order' is less about rules and more about who holds the
biggest stick, and whose assets are deemed inconvenient.