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.