Péter Szijjártó, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, has said the war in Ukraine had entered a new phase which entails Hungary acting even more decisively to guarantee its national interests in peace and security.
Speaking on the sidelines of a meeting of EU foreign ministers, Minister Szijjártó said NATO’s position adopted last week entirely coincided with Hungary’s national security interests: all efforts must be made to prevent the military alliance from being involved in the war and the conflict from escalating beyond Ukraine’s borders. He warned that establishing a no-fly zone in Ukraine, as proposed by several countries, would entail the risk of aerial warfare. Another proposal to set up a peacekeeping mission in Ukraine would carry the risk of war involving western forces on land, he added. “We should speak clearly about these issues. This is a new war risk.” The government has adopted a clear-cut position: Hungary wants to stay out of this war, he said. It insists on NATO’s position and opposes both proposals that would entail the risk of a new war, he added. Hungary is not blocking any decisions on the EU member states delivering more weapons to Ukraine, but it will neither supply arms nor allow lethal aid to cross its territory, he said, adding such consignments qualified as military targets.
Photo credit: Facebook/Szijjártó Péter