Hungary’s Foreign Minister has announced that the country will not be participating in NATO’s long-term plan to support Ukraine, deeming it a “crazy mission”. Peter Szijjarto stated that Hungary will stand aside from the NATO initiative despite any pressure.
In April, NATO allies agreed to launch a $107 billion fund to provide military support to Ukraine in response to Russia’s military campaign. This plan involves NATO taking over some coordination work from the US-led Ramstein group.
The Hungarian government spokesman Zoltan Kovacs also stated that Budapest does not support proposals that could lead the alliance closer to conflict or push it towards offensive actions. This decision has strained relations between Hungary and NATO, partly due to delays in ratifying Sweden’s accession and Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s close ties to Russia.
US special envoy David Pressman has warned Hungary about the risks of its growing relationship with Moscow, urging the country to consider its security interests. Hungary will need to decide how to best protect its security interests moving forward.