Hungarian Defence Minister: Diplomacy ‘only solution’ to end war

Diplomacy is the only solution to end the war in Ukraine, Defence Minister Kristóf Szalay-Bobrovniczky said on Tuesday after a meeting of European Union defence ministers in Brussels.

Defence Minister talks about the war in Ukraine

Szalay-Bobrovniczky said Hungary was still being attacked for its “pro-peace” stance calling for an immediate ceasefire and peace talks. He also called for a strategic debate “as the approach employed so far is not working. Despite weapon deliveries and other military support, the front is moving increasingly swiftly to the west rather than withdrawing towards the east,” he said.

The result of the US presidential election may bring “definitive change to policy” and a pro-peace approach, he said.

Szalay-Bobrovniczky said the war was threatening with escalation “any day”.

“As long as there is armed conflict, events can get out of control.”

Measures such as moving the EU training of Ukrainian soldiers to Ukraine, and member states allowing the country to use weapons delivered by them on Russian territory could also threaten with escalation, he said.

Regarding a recent cyber-attack on Hungary’s National Defence Purchase Agency (VBU), the minister said an international team of hackers had stolen data from the company for financial gain. The attack was not perpetrated by a foreign secret service, he said. VBU is a company conducting purchases, and its servers “are not, were not and never will be” connected to the system of the Hungarian Armed Forces or the Defence Ministry, he said.

“The stolen data may violate business confidentiality but does not threaten national security,” he said.

“After the incident, we have filed a police report, strengthened cyber-protection and information-security procedures and are closely monitoring the case,” Szalay-Bobrovniczky said.

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