Péter Szijjártó, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, said Hungary is committed to its pro-peace stance even though the EU remains dominated by an "atmosphere of war" and most member states want to continue providing military support to Ukraine.
During a break in an informal meeting of EU foreign ministers in Stockholm on Friday, Minister Szijjártó said everyone is of the view that European weapons deliveries are having a positive effect on the war, which is why many argue for supplying even more weapons. These member states say Ukraine must be given all the support it needs for as long as it needs it, “and unfortunately, this applies primarily to military support”, he said. But Hungary’s position remains clear, he said, emphasizing that “we want peace as soon as possible because every minute this war continues costs more and more lives and poses a very serious threat of escalation.” An immediate ceasefire and peace talks are needed, followed by a diplomatic settlement that can guarantee long-term peace and security in central Europe and on the entire continent, Minister Szijjártó said. Meanwhile, he pointed out that under new Ukrainian laws, Hungarian-language schools in the country would no longer be able to operate from September. “This is an unacceptable situation,” he said, arguing that the ethnic Hungarian community in Ukraine had already had their rights “seriously infringed”, but “this would be such an unprecedented infringement that calls for a European reaction”.