Hungarian National Defence Day held in Washington

Hungary supports all international initiatives aimed at bringing an end to the conflict in Ukraine, Szabolcs Takács, Hungary’s Ambassador to the United States, told a ceremony in Washington on Tuesday, marking National Defence Day.

In his address to officials and diplomats, Takács pointed out the need for peace and a ceasefire in the interests of Ukraine and its people, and called for urgent peace talks.

The ambassador said it was especially important that NATO remain a defence alliance focused on deterrence, which meant that it had to stay out of the conflict in Ukraine. He said Hungary was doing its part in upholding Euro-Atlantic security, noting that it was now spending 2.43 percent of its GDP on defence, and had tripled its defence budget in less than a decade.

Takács hailed the “success story” of NATO’s first 75 years and noted that 2024 also marks the 25th anniversary of Hungary’s accession to the alliance. He underscored Hungary’s commitment and expressed its intention to expand military cooperation with the Ohio National Guard.