3-5 km long queues at the Ukrainian-Hungarian border crossings!

Ukrainian-Hungarian border crossings and Hungarian diplomatic representations are operating at full capacity, the foreign minister said on Friday.

In a video posted on Facebook, Péter Szijjártó said that all embassy staff in Kiev and the Berehove (Beregszász) and Uzhhorod (Ungvár) consulates were providing assistance to Hungarians and non-Hungarians alike. Szijjártó said he was in continuous contact with the Hungarian diplomatic missions and the Hungarian Cultural Association of Transcarpathia, in western Ukraine.

Meanwhile, all five border crossing stations are open. Those at Barabás and Hónya have had their

opening hours extended, and are now open from 6am to 11pm, he said.

The minister cautioned that waiting times were long and the tailback of cars waiting on the Ukrainian side was 3-5km.

Read also: Minister: Hungary ‘must not drift’ into war

A political consensus is needed on recognising the paramount importance of the security of Hungary and the Hungarian people in connection with the war unfolding in Ukraine, the leader of the Fidesz parliamentary group said on Friday. Hungary is well prepared for all eventualities regarding the conflict, Máté Kocsis told the media in Parliament after attending a closed-door meeting of the defence and law enforcement committee in which the heads of national defence and law enforcement gave a briefing on the situation in Ukraine.

Hungary is ready to provide humanitarian aid and to fulfil its duties arising from its membership of NATO and EU,

Kocsis said. “Hungary won’t be sending troops or weapons to Ukraine,” Kocsis said. “We don’t want to take part in this conflict.” In the closed committee session, he said, it was “reassuring” that the tone of opposition members was more moderate than in their public statements.