Hungarian Foreign Minister Anita Orbán held talks with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte on Friday during a foreign ministers’ meeting in Helsingborg, Sweden, in another sign of the new Hungarian government’s efforts to strengthen ties with Western allies.
According to Orbán’s statement published on Facebook, discussions focused on international security, strengthening allied cooperation, and current geopolitical challenges.
The minister stressed that Hungary remains committed to stability, dialogue and cooperation based on shared values.
“Preserving security and peace is our shared responsibility,” Orbán wrote after the meeting.
New Hungarian government seeks closer NATO and EU relations
The meeting comes as Prime Minister Péter Magyar and his Tisza-led government make efforts to reposition Hungary within both the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation and the European Union after years of tensions under Viktor Orbán’s administration.
At her parliamentary confirmation hearing earlier this year, Anita Orbán stated clearly that “Hungary’s place is in the European Union and NATO”. In a separate interview with Válasz Online, she described NATO as Hungary’s “number one security ally”, adding that this would remain unchanged under the new government.
At the same time, she argued that Europe should continue strengthening its independent defence capabilities alongside NATO cooperation.
Ukraine war and European defence dominated discussions
The wider NATO foreign ministers’ gathering in Helsingborg reportedly focused heavily on the war in Ukraine, European defence readiness and preparations for the alliance’s upcoming July summit in Ankara.
Among the key issues expected to dominate the summit are increasing defence spending among member states, expanding European defence industry capacity and maintaining long-term support for Ukraine.
In recent days, Mark Rutte has repeatedly argued that European countries must take on a greater role in sustaining NATO’s defence capabilities amid growing geopolitical uncertainty.
Hungary maintains cautious stance on military aid to Ukraine
Despite the warmer tone towards NATO and the EU, the new Hungarian government continues to take a cautious position regarding direct military support for Ukraine.
During the election campaign and since taking office, Péter Magyar has repeatedly stated that Hungary does not plan to send weapons to Ukraine.
According to Portfolio, Anita Orbán also indicated during her parliamentary hearing that although Hungary formally remains outside the European Union’s EUR 90 billion joint loan framework linked to defence and Ukraine-related financing, the government will still examine the mechanism to ensure it does not create additional financial burdens for Hungary’s budget, which continues to struggle with a significant deficit.
What’s next? PM Magyar: After the war in Ukraine, the entire EU will return to Russian gas
