Péter Szijjártó, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, said every effort must be made to avoid a conflict between NATO and Russia.
Addressing French President Emmanuel Macron’s recent remark that “nothing could be ruled out” when asked about the possibility of deploying Western troops to Ukraine, Minister Szijjártó told Kossuth Rádió that Europe was suffering from “war psychosis”. He welcomed responses from the majority of European politicians who said they did not wish to send troops to Ukraine. After Western Europe’s deliveries to Ukraine progressed from helmets to ammunition, to armoured vehicles and rockets, he said it was no surprise that some Western politicians were talking about the deployment of ground troops. “That is diametrically opposed to joint decisions taken till now,” he added. He noted that NATO members had issued a declaration two years earlier, stating that NATO was not a combatant and that all efforts should be made to avoid a conflict between NATO and Russia. Comments by Western politicians on the deployment of troops to Ukraine are in violation of that declaration, he said. He added that NATO was a defence alliance and attacking anyone was not its purpose. He said that Hungary’s prediction made at the start of the war that sanctions against Russia would not work and that there would be no solution on the battlefield, had proved correct. He warned that the longer the war lasted, the greater the threat of that “terrifying danger called the third world war”. Minister Szijjártó said the scenario in which Ukraine made advances on the battlefield that would put the country in an advantageous position to start negotiations had failed. “Time is on Russia’s side,” he added. He reiterated Hungary’s position against sending weapons or troops to Ukraine, and for urging a ceasefire and peace talks. Speaking about a recent summit of Visegrad Group leaders, he acknowledged differences in positions concerning the issue of peace but said cooperation was an advantage when representing interests that converge, such as illegal migration, keeping energy supply a sovereign matter and agriculture development.