Government: Hungary is the “staunchest supporter” of Ukraine’s sovereignty

Hungary supports peace, and its government will resist every pressure to deliver weapons to Ukraine, the state secretary for international communications and relations told public broadcaster Kossuth rádió on Thursday.

Zoltán Kovács said that “prompted by a desire for peace”, the Hungarian people had given another mandate to Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and his government in Sunday’s election, and this further strengthens the government’s stance on the war in Ukraine. Before the war broke out in Ukraine, Orbán had gone to Moscow to try to broker peace, and Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó “has also done a lot to promote a ceasefire, as far as Hungary’s abilities go on the matter,” Kovács said.

Regarding the foreign ministry’s decision to summon Ukrainian Ambassador Lyubov Nepop on Wednesday, Kovács said “expressing diplomatic opinions have limits”. Moreover, the Ukrainian leadership’s statements on Hungary have influenced the Hungarian elections, he said. At the same time,

Hungary is the “staunchest supporter” of Ukraine’s sovereignty,

he said. “A sovereign state to the east of us” is in Hungary’s strategic, security and national interest, he said.

• Read also: Hungary to maintain ban on weapon transports to Ukraine

Kovács praised the “exemplary cooperation” between state and civil organisations in helping Ukrainian refugees. “All this proves that Hungary is committed to Ukraine’s territorial integrity, sovereignty and is ready to help anyone fleeing the war,” he said.

At the same time, “there are facts of life” such as Hungary’s energy dependence that determine the country’s actions, Kovács said.

The incumbent government has “inherited” dependence on Russian energy resources, and has done more than any other government to set up alternative routes,

he said. Speaking to news channel M1, Kovács said the Hungarian people had expressed “clearly” their opinion about the government’s performance in Sunday’s election.

• Read also: Joint opposition PM candidate: Fidesz wants to enlist Hungarians to be cannon-fodder in Ukraine

Regarding the European Commission’s decision to activate the mechanism linking EU funding to the rule of law against Hungary, Kovács said

it was time for “European institutions acting on Leftist political motivation to wake up and realise that their stance is unsustainable and unfounded.”

The election’s outcome has shown that Hungary is a successful country. The opposition was a “leftist block without a vision or values” that aimed solely to obtain power “but had no idea what they would do with it if they succeeded,” he said.

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Source: MTI