Kristóf Szalay-Bobrovniczky: Hungary does not donate its ammunition stocks to Ukraine

Kristóf Szalay-Bobrovniczky stated that Hungary has a firm and unchanging position: the government of Hungary continues to see ceasefire and the start of peace talks as the only solution leading to peace. He pointed out that the weapon supplies result in the escalation and worsening of the war, and therefore Hungary will not deliver weapons or send troops to Ukraine in the future, either.

The minister told the press that the participants of the Brussels meeting had discussed, among others, the military support to Ukraine, including the issue of ammunition resupply. In this connection, he said that according to a proposal, the EU member states would donate either all or some of their existing ammunition stocks to Ukraine. Hungary has exercised the right of constructive abstention in this matter, since it does not support the war with weapons or troops, said the minister. He explained that this means that on the basis of mutual respect for the decisions of individual member states, Hungary does not hinder such plans of other countries. At the same time, the minister underlined that instead of ending the bloodshed and the threat of escalation, the proposal rather prolongs them, and for this reason, Hungary does not consider itself bound by this initiative, so it will not participate in it.

He pointed out that due to the war, the development of the armed forces is going on at a fast pace all around Europe, and there is an increased need for defence industry investments as well. He added that Hungary has an advantageous position in this regard, since the renewal of the national defence industry is one of the pillars of the Hungarian armed forces development program, in which already several planned and already ongoing investments can play a role in joint EU projects.

Speaking about another key topic of the council meeting, namely taking stock of the progress made in the implementation of the EU Strategic Compass – which is the plan to strengthen the EU’s security policy and defence policy – one year from its approval in 2022, the minister said that “in the midst of today’s security challenges, it is very important to have an effective, joint framework system”. Hungary supports the EU’s becoming a global security provider, especially in those regions where the security situation has a direct impact on Europe, he said. “For this reason, we consider it of outstanding importance that the EU undertake a role in the Western Balkans and the Sahel, in the interest of strengthening the security of these regions and stopping the waves of illegal migration”, added the Minister of Defence.