"Pro-war, anti-Donald Trump" European leaders have met in Paris to try and thwart achieving peace in Ukraine, Péter Szijjártó, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, said in Astana.
Minister Szijjártó said at a press conference held jointly with his Kazakh counterpart Murat Nurtleu that with the inauguration of US President Donald Trump a completely new reality had emerged in world politics that would benefit both Hungary and Kazakhstan.
"We are talking about two countries that have always advocated a pro-peace position and pursued a patriotic, sovereigntist political strategy," he said. "They have always stood on the ground of normalcy and considered the national interest the topmost priority."
For that position, both countries had become the target of the international liberal mainstream's attacks, but from now on mutual respect would serve as the basis of international relations, because the new US president has "shut off the financial resources for a political direction based on intervention," he said.
Minister Szijjártó called an early conclusion to the war in Ukraine a shared interest because Hungary and Kazakhstan had been seriously harmed by the conflict, adding that Donald Trump and his pro-peace policies could ensure the best chance for such a conclusion.
"Therefore we welcome that the Russian-American dialogue has restarted at the highest level," Minister Szijjártó said. "We have learnt with joy and relief that Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin have had a long conversation. We have also learnt with joy and relief that as a follow up to those talks the two foreign ministers, Marco Rubio and Sergei Lavrov, also discussed Russian-American ties and future opportunities for settlement in Ukraine."
Minister Szijjártó said Hungary had made similar efforts to keep communication channels open during the past few years, for which it was subject to constant attacks from the West. "We were labelled Russian propagandists and spies just because we advocated a diplomatic solution ... and clearly declared that this conflict could not be resolved on the battlefield," he said.
By now Hungary had been proven right, he said, and expressed hope that the Russian-American talks would be fruitful and peace could soon come to Ukraine.
"But we see that in Europe those that do not want peace are on the move. The pro-war camp is getting organised in Europe. They will meet in Paris today," he said. "The ones meeting in Paris are those that have been constantly adding fuel to the fire. Pro-war countries that have pursued an ill-advised strategy in the past three years, whose policies have brought about the danger of escalation."
"In addition, those countries have made a habit of berating Donald Trump in recent years ... in Paris, therefore, pro-war, anti-Trump, frustrated European leaders will meet, who want to prevent a peace agreement in Ukraine," he added.
"Contrary to those leaders we support Donald Trump's efforts ... and support the American-Russian talks, and wish for there to be peace in Ukraine," he said.