Szabolcs Takács, Hungary's ambassador to the US, said President Donald Trump’s return to office has helped increase the visibility and legitimacy of Hungarian foreign policy in the United States, particularly with regard to its efforts to promote peace in the conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East.
Addressing an event marking Hungarian Armed Forces Day in Washington on Wednesday, Takács said Trump’s messaging on Ukraine and his efforts to broker an agreement were in line with Hungary’s pro-peace stance, adding that Hungary was fully behind the peace efforts.
Takács argued for preserving solidarity and unity within NATO in the current "turbulent times", emphasising, at the same time, the need for it to remain a defence alliance and avoid getting involved in the conflict in Hungary’s eastern neighborhood.
David Baker, the US deputy assistant secretary of defense for European and NATO policy, also said that NATO must remain a defence alliance and return to its original function. He also highlighted his recent positive experiences from his visits to Hungary.
Major General John C. Harris, the Adjutant General of the Ohio National Guard, highlighted the achievements of the partnership that has existed since 1993 between the military component he had been in charge of and the Hungarian Armed Forces. He said Hungarian Armed Forces Day highlighted the strength of US-Hungarian relations as a relationship between two allies linked by strategic political and diplomatic ties.
The event at the Hungarian embassy was hosted by Takács and Hungary’s two military attachés. It was attended by representatives of the new US administration as well as members of the diplomatic corps and leaders of military attaché offices in the US.