Orbán cabinet: Hungary’s military participating in the NATO’s most dangerous mission regularly facing Russian jets – photos
Hungary is participating for the fourth time in NATO’s most dangerous mission, the joint defence of Baltic airspace, where there is a daily risk of direct confrontation with Russia, Péter Szijjártó, the foreign minister said on Monday.
Hungary defends itself and its allies, says FM Szijjártó
The ministry said in a statement that Szijjártó told Hungarian soldiers participating in the Baltic air policing operation in Siauliai, Lithuania, that the Baltic region faced the greatest daily risk of direct confrontation between NATO and Russia. “Nowhere else are the allied forces and the Russian military so close to each other, either physically or figuratively,” he added.
“This is what makes the situation so complex, and this is why I would like to assure you of our special appreciation, because here we must protect the security and sovereignty of our allies while also protecting the possibility of peacemaking,” he said. “We Hungarians are capable of defending ourselves and our allies without escalating tensions and without dragging our nation and our alliance into war,” he added.
Szijjártó said that after 2015, 2019, and 2022, this was the fourth time that Hungary has taken on a role in protecting the airspace of its allies in the region. “We are proud that we are not only members of the strongest defence alliance in world history, which would be enough in itself, but that we also contribute significantly to NATO’s collective security, given the size of our country and its overall strength and capabilities,” he said.
19 alerts, 300 takeoffs
“And when it comes to contributing to collective security, it is clear that the crown jewel of this whole endeavor is the Baltic air policing mission (…) Because I believe that of all NATO missions, this is the most difficult, the most complex, and at the same time the most sensitive and dangerous task,” he added.
He also noted that the mission was fully consistent with NATO’s original objectives, as it is the strongest defensive alliance in world history, not the strongest offensive alliance, “even if some people are willing to confuse the two”. “For us, NATO has always been and will always be a defensive alliance, not an offensive one. And we are pleased that during the 19 alerts, 300 takeoffs, and more than 300 flight hours to date, you have also represented this position and this original founding goal,” he said.
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