Government: Ukraine cannot win the war

The “psychotic state of war” is not too popular among most countries outside Europe, Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó said in New York on Friday, adding that a significant part of the world was impacted negatively by the war in Ukraine and wanted peace.

The positions of European and other countries are directly at odds with each other, Szijjártó said ahead of a session of the United Nations Security Council, according to a foreign ministry statement. “So while European countries believe that the world subscribes to the European narrative, it is abundantly clear that most of the countries outside Europe do not understand why Europeans want to make a global war out of a regional conflict,” he said.

“A significant part of the world wants peace,” Szijjártó said. “It wants the war to end as soon as possible. So the European psychotic state of war, this European war narrative isn’t too popular in the other parts of the world.” The minister noted that as a neighbouring country, Hungary experienced the negative effects of the war on a daily basis. Moreover, a significant number of ethnic Hungarians in the Transcarpathia region are falling victim to the war, he said, adding that several of his counterparts had heard this from him first.

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“And we don’t want any more people to die in the war,” Szijjártó said. “Not Hungarians or people of any other nationality. It is clear that peace is needed to save lives. But peace won’t be achieved with sanctions or weapons deliveries.” Peace will only be achieved if a ceasefire is brought about and peace talks are started, he said. Szijjártó said the armed conflict could have no winners, only losers. And the longer the war goes on, the more losers there will be and the more damage will be done, he added.

Peace requires talks, which calls for keeping channels of communication open, he said. Szijjártó said there was no better forum for this than the United Nations, noting that the organisation was originally established with the aim of serving as a platform for dialogue between opponent states. “I think the Americans and the Russians should make use of the opportunities presented by the UN and sit down for talks without delay,” the minister said. “We don’t want a third world war,” he said. “This regional war must not be made into a global war. And it is key not to have direct confrontation between NATO and Russia.”

Szijjártó expressed hope that NATO countries would continue to respect the alliance’s prior decision that it was not part of the conflict in Ukraine. He said the anniversary of the start of the war provided an opportunity to review the developments of the past year, arguing that the transatlantic world had so far failed to give responses that would bring a quicker end to the conflict. “While we’re here talking about peace, others are making decisions about weapons deliveries,” Szijjártó said. “It’s high time that everyone understand that sanctions and weapons deliveries won’t bring about peace. Only a ceasefire and peace talks will bring about peace.”

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Unlike Hungarians, those who criticise Hungary’s pro-peace stance in respect of the war in Ukraine have not lost lives to the conflict yet, Foreign Minister Peter Szijjártó said in New York on Friday, urging the international community to promote a diplomatic solution. As a neighbouring country, Hungary is directly confronted by the effects of the war on a daily basis, Szijjártó told a session of the United Nations Security Council, according to a foreign ministry statement.

Hungary is undertaking the biggest humanitarian aid programme in its history, the minister said, adding the country would continue the programme as long as it was necessary. So far more than a million refugees have fled Ukraine via Hungary, he said, adding that those who intended to stay in Hungary were given equal access to health care and education. Also, companies that hire refugees have received support, he said.

“It’s heartbreaking to see the mothers arriving with the children, sometimes with the grandparents, mostly with one backpack to Hungary,” he said. “A third world war would be a real tragedy,” Szijjártó said, adding that as a father he hoped that his children would never have to experience a world war. He expressed hope that both sides would respect NATO’s decision not to be party to the conflict. The war has no winners, only losers, Szijjártó said. “And the longer this war lasts, the more losers there will be, the more damage will be caused and more people will die,” he added.

Szijjártó called on the international community to focus on bringing an end to the war as quickly as possible, underscoring the importance of preventing an escalation of the armed conflict.

Szijjártó said he represented a nation that had lost lives to the war, noting that many ethnic Hungarians from western Ukraine’s Transcarpathia region have been conscripted into the army and many of them have died. The number one duty of the international community is to save lives, and this is only possible with peace, the minister said. The delivery of weapons and further sanctions packages cannot save lives, he said, stressing that the Hungarian government urged an immediate ceasefire and peace talks. “And I know very well that for this position of ours, we usually come under very heavy criticism,” he said. “Not only heavy criticism, but on many occasions, totally insane accusations are being brought up against Hungary and its government.” But, he added, those who criticise Hungary have not lost any lives to the war, unlike Hungarians.

Szijjártó said that although Hungarians are not responsible for the war, they had already paid a high price for it. He said everything possible needed to be done to arrange a ceasefire and start peace talks as soon as possible.

Source: MTI