Defense Minister Kristóf Szalay-Bobrovniczky said defense ministers of NATO have confirmed in a meeting in Brussels that Hungary could stay away from participating in the organization’s NATO mission in Ukraine.
“Hungary will continue to be a committed, loyal, and appreciated member of NATO,” the minister said in a video on Facebook. Referring to a recent agreement between Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, the minister said “Hungary would stay out of the mission NATO is planning to launch in connection with the war in Ukraine, with 31 countries participating.” Hungary will not contribute “money, arms, or troops” to that cooperative effort “but will not bloc it, either,” he added. Minister Szalay-Bobrovniczky said he had told his Ukrainian counterpart, who had attended the meeting, that “the Hungarian minority is actively participating in the war … several of them have made the biggest sacrifice, giving their lives for Ukraine.” “Therefore it is justified to expect that all earlier rights are restored to the Hungarian minority,” he added.