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Hungary met both of its expectations, so there was no reason for it to oppose the proposal for financial assistance to Ukraine at Thursday’s EU summit, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade said in an interview with VRT TV in Belgium.
On the EU’s External Action Service’s (EEAS) plan to increase the European Peace Facility’s budget by EUR 5 million to supply more weapons to Ukraine, Péter Szijjártó said, “We cannot and will not stop others from doing so.” It is their own responsibility, and they will have to account for their actions.
We will certainly not be part of the decision.”
The Foreign Minister added that Hungary was not willing to bear any financial or political consequences for expressing “constructive abstention.”
Regarding Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, the Foreign Minister said he was “very, very unfriendly towards us; he considers us an enemy.” They understand that this is his political stance, and they can live with it. However, Hungarians and Poles live in a brotherhood, so they will not let Mr. Tusk disrupt that.
Asked by the reporter why Prime Minister Viktor Orbán had not yet formally met Ukrainian President Zelensky, he said that
it is not a competition to see how many times you meet someone.”
He recalled that Hungary is currently implementing its largest humanitarian operation, taking in one million refugees, educating over 5,000 children, and helping half a million Ukrainian families, not only in the western (Transcarpathian) regions.
The last thing they should do is to lecture us on how to be in solidarity with Ukraine,”
he added.
Speaking about his meeting with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba last week, Mr. Szijjártó told that they had given their Ukrainian counterparts a detailed list of expected legislative changes. He hoped they would implement it, “opening a new chapter in our relationship.” This comes amid a conflict with Ukraine over the continuous violation of the rights of the Hungarian national community since 2015.
Asked whether he had proposed Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov to stop the war in Ukraine, he said that Hungary had made its position very clear that it condemned the war because it was bad for Hungary, for Ukraine, and for Europe. He also made that clear at the Russian Energy Week, in front of an audience of a thousand people.
“We stand up for the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine; there can be no question that the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine and all other countries must be respected. The question is how to stop the killing of people,” Mr. Szijjártó said.
The Minister said that the most important task was to end the war and start peace talks, and
a peace agreement that will ensure peace for the whole region in the future.”
On Sweden’s NATO accession, he said that the governing party’s aim is to get the Scandinavian country admitted to NATO, but that many MPs feel offended by Swedish politicians criticizing Hungary. He asked his Swedish colleagues not to criticize the Hungarian government unfairly.
Regarding the Swedish Prime Minister’s invitation to Hungary, Péter Szijjártó said it was incomprehensible that they had not yet received a reply, although he considered the visit relevant, as Ulf Kristersson had visited Turkey before the NATO ratification.
Via MTI; Featured Image: Facebook / Szijjártó Péter