FM: EU remains incapable of undertaking a realistic assessment of war in Ukraine
Péter Szijjártó, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, said a "war psychosis is still rampant" in the bloc.
Péter Szijjártó, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, said a "war psychosis is still rampant" in the bloc.
“We’re moving away from a European pro-war policy in the direction of a pro-peace policy," said the prime minister.
The foreign minister said the EU’s Ukraine strategy had failed in the past two and a half years, arguing that peace was increasingly farther away.
At least two, but preferably three, must advocate for peace if there is a chance for the warring sides to move in the direction of peace rather than further escalation.
“There are more and more weapons and the war propaganda is getting stronger, with a severe looming danger of escalation,” Minister Szijjártó said.
The foreign minister said the crossing of red lines in the European Union “has started”.
Minister Szijjártó said he represented a country which had been living in the shadow of the war for the last almost two and a half years as a neighbor of Ukraine.
The Hungarian government’s most important goal and task was to secure a guarantee that Hungarian troops should not be obliged to participate in the planned mission.
The foreign minister said it is still unclear how the mission can go ahead without Hungarian taxpayers’ money being used.
Europe “is facing serious difficulties and its economy is quickly deteriorating,” the foreign minister said.
Manfred Weber's proposal for mandatory EU-wide conscription risks deepening the EU's involvement in the Ukraine conflict.
The defense minister said that even as a NATO member, only those countries that had an independent, genuinely capable and powerful army could defend themselves.
A recent survey shows strong opposition among Europeans against sending troops abroad, with 69 percent against military involvement in Ukraine.