Zsolt Németh, the chairman of the foreign affairs committee of the Hungarian parliament, said on Wednesday at the 31st Bálványos Summer University in Tusnádfürdő (Baile Tusnad), central Romania, that all indications point to the European Union being “an extremely serious loser” of the war in Ukraine.
Speaking during a panel discussion on the war in relation to central and eastern Europe, Németh spoke to the “chaos in international diplomacy,” the depreciated euro, inflation, and skyrocketing energy prices.
“In this situation, central European countries – including Hungarian-Polish relations – are being subjected to a very serious test of their strength,” Németh said, adding that countries of the region would remain strong only if they cooperated and represented their interests together.
Németh also discussed Hungary-Poland relations in the context of sanctions against Russia, the media’s role in preserving central Europe’s unity, and the supply of weapons to Ukraine.
“Today, the media has mounted an attack on Hungarian-Polish friendship as part of hybrid warfare.”
Németh insisted Poland was portrayed as “America’s friend” in Hungarian media, while Hungary was described in Poland as “Russia’s friend.” “However, the media is free in both countries, freer than in many western European nations,” he said.
In regard to weapons deliveries, Zsolt Németh noted Hungary and Poland had opposing stances on the issue. Poland is helping the victim, Ukraine, by sending weapons, whereas Hungary is “pursuing an active peace policy” in a bid to maintain peace in the Transcarpathia region.
According to Németh, Hungary and Poland have similarly diverging views regarding sanctions against Russia. Hungary’s position is that sanctions will yield results only after months, or even years, while the effects of the war in Ukraine are already felt across the European continent, he noted.
Nemeth said there was no difference of opinion between Hungary and Poland on strategic goals and the direction central Europe should go. “Our common objective is to create an independent Ukraine which is part of the European Union and is integrated in the region,” he said. “To achieve that goal, peace must be brokered as soon as possible and a ceasefire must be reached.”
via MTI
Featured photo by Lajos Soós/MTI
