Only Hungary insists on ceasefire and peace

After attending the Toledo meeting of EU Defence Ministers, Kristóf Szalay-Bobrovniczky emphasized that EU member states want to spend further hundreds of millions of euros on arms transport, and Hungary is under a huge pressure to let it happen and approve it.

“Hungary stands up for peace and stability at all levels and all forums”, he said, adding that there will be no quick military solution to the war in Ukraine, and while hundreds of thousands of people die in vain, the EU member countries are unwilling to change their position that the war must be continued with weapons.

The minister called it unacceptable that Ukraine keeps the Hungarian OTP Bank on the War Sponsors List, among the financial institutions supporting the war. He noted that at the meeting of EU defence ministers in Spain, he had also made it clear that as long as this is the case, Hungary is not willing to conduct any further discussions on the funding from the European Peace Facility.

He also said that even apart from the war, the global security situation is “not too rosy” – in this context, the minister cited the threats to stability in the Western Balkans as well as the fall of democratic governments in the Sahel, in Africa. For this reason, Hungary must continue fighting for peace and stability instead of bloc formation, factions and sanctions.

“We carry on this work because peace is needed, and peace requires strength” – emphasized the Minister of Defence.