Hungary is an active contributor to NATO’s efforts towards security

Speaking about the Middle East Peace Agreement signed early this week, the minister emphasized that President Donald Trump’s success shows that one should never give up diplomatic efforts. He added that Hungary’s position on the Russo-Ukrainian War continues to be consistent and firm – the possibility of escalation is concerning, and according to our position, there is no alternative to ceasefire and the start of peace talks as soon as possible. For this reason, Hungary continues to stand up for the Trum administration’s peace initiatives.

Kristóf Szalay-Bobrovniczky emphasized that the airspace violations affecting NATO member states in recent months have drawn attention again to the need for reinforcing air defence on the eastern flank of the Alliance. Hungary strongly condemns any attempt to violate the territorial sovereignty of member states. Moreover, these incidents, too, strengthen Hungary’s position that peace must be achieved as soon as possible.

He highlighted that Hungary demonstrates its commitment to guaranteeing the defence of the Alliance arising from its NATO membership not just through words but also through action day after day. Hungarian Gripen pilots are participating in the NATO Baltic Air Policing (BAP) mission already on the fourth occasion. Besides the three Baltic states, Hungary also safeguards the airspace over Slovakia, Croatia and Slovenia, thereby strengthening regional security and the NATO Integrated Air and Missile Defence System (NATINAMDS). Another Hungarian contribution to the collective defence capability of the Alliance is the recently completed Exercise Adaptive Hussars 2025, which involved close to 22,000 servicemembers and several NATO member states. Hungary has also joined the discussions about a European drone wall initiative, which may contribute to the air defence capabilities of the continent – added the minister.

Kristóf Szalay-Bobrovniczky pointed out that as a reliable member of NATO, Hungary has long been actively engaged in guaranteeing the security of the Western Balkans. From the beginnings, it has been participating in operations of the Kosovo Force (KFOR), and continues to rank among the most significant troop contributing nations.

At the meeting, the ministers reviewed the status of increased defence spendings and the implementation of the related capability goals. The minister of defence underlined that Hungary agrees with the view that member states must spend more on their security. “The reinforcement of our collective and national defence capabilities is an investment that is crucial with respect to preserving our sovereignty, peace and development” – this was how Kristóf Szalay-Bobrovniczky finished his speech.

Press release of the Ministry of Defence