Hungary Will Not Participate in NATO Efforts in Ukraine: PM Orban
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Hungary will not participate in North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) efforts in Ukraine, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said on Wednesday.
The Hungarian government has received guarantees that in the case of the Russia-Ukraine armed conflict, Hungary would not have to participate in military actions outside NATO's territory, Orban said during a joint press conference with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, Xinhua reported.
"We received everything needed to address the current issues. This was a difficult but constructive negotiation with the Secretary-General," Orban said.
Stoltenberg said that both sides reached a consensus where Hungary would refrain from blocking NATO's decisions.
On the subject of Ukraine, Stoltenberg said that Orban has clarified Hungary's stance: "No Hungarian personnel is to be deployed in these activities, and no Hungarian funds will be used to support them."
Despite this, Hungary will allow other NATO allies to move forward with their initiatives. "At the same time, the prime minister has assured me that although Hungary will not support these efforts, it will enable other allies to move forward," Stoltenberg added.
Although Hungary is a member of both NATO and the European Union, Orban has maintained strong diplomatic and economic ties with Russia since the beginning of the Russia-Ukraine conflict and has been a vocal critic of Brussels and Washington.
In an interview with Hungarian local media recently, Orban said that everything must be done to stop the spread of war. "If a major war breaks out in Europe, we will all lose."