NATO is ready and able to defend itself and its members

The minister added that the war in Ukraine and the conflict in the Middle East cause global security tension, whose impact is equally felt in the member states and the Alliance as a whole. He is of the opinion that in this situation, the overall aim of the summit has been to reaffirm the enduring transatlantic bond between the nations.

He told the press that the discussions at the meeting centered on the support to Ukraine, the proper demonstration of collective defence, as well as cooperation with the Asia-Pacific partners and the European Union. He noted that the Allies reinforce their commitment to supporting Ukraine.

The minister said that in his view, these efforts often carry in themselves the possibility of a prolonged war. NATO gets increasingly involved in the conflict due to its coordinative role in Ukraine and its multi-year financial pledges.

Hungary does not participate in this process leading to escalation, and – as Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has agreed with NATO’s incumbent and next Secretary Generals – it contributes neither money nor troops to these initiatives – emphasized the minister. He added that in exchange, Hungary does not hinder the other Allies from implementing their intentions in this regard.

The minister said that 75 years before, NATO had been founded to defend its community. The strength that is necessary to attain this objective, however, is provided by the Allies’ own national armed forces, and therefore it is especially important to strengthen and develop these forces.

He went on saying that Hungary had already attained the 2% of GDP defence spending target earlier. Within it, considering to the sums to be allocated to development according to the major equipment spending guideline, our country ranks second among the allies, which is an outstanding achievement. “Thus, we can say that Hungary is not only a committed member country but also definitely performs well.”

Hungarian troops are present in NATO operations, and are doing their part in NATO’s Assurance Measures as well. Thus, on a rotational basis, they contribute to the foreign missions in Kosovo, Iraq as well as the Baltic Air Policing mission. Furthermore, there is a Headquarters Multinational Division Command – Centre (HQ MND-C) in Hungary that is part of NATO’s command structure, and a multinational Forward Land Forces Battle Group is also stationed in the country – he added.

Kristóf Szalay-Bobrovniczky pointed out the importance of defence industry, one of the new and continuously strengthening elements of Hungarian economy which, in his assessment, is receiving more emphasis in NATO as well, in connection with capability development. Thanks to its successes achieved in multiple segments of the growing number of defence investments and defence innovation, Hungary may have a significant role in this field even on an international level – said the defence minister.