Bangladesh, Dec. 7 -- Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has once again thrust himself into the center of Europes geopolitical debate, declaring that the European Union is quietly but deliberately preparing for a direct military confrontation with Russia by 2030. Speaking at an anti-war rally on December 7, the Hungarian leader accused Brussels of reshaping its economic and political machinery to achieve what he described as “full combat readiness” within five years.

Orbans warning did not emerge in a vacuum. It comes at a moment when alarmist rhetoric across parts of Europe has grown increasingly normalized, amplified by military officials, political leaders, and defense analysts who frame Russia as the continents looming...