On July 8 (local time), according to Xinhua, Hungarian Prime Minister Peter Magyar affirmed that his country will not provide weapons or send troops to Ukraine, and emphasized that his country still maintains humanitarian assistance and commitments to NATO.
Speaking to reporters before entering the session of the NATO summit in Ankara (Turkey), Peter Magyar clarified the Hungarian government's position on the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
According to the Hungarian Prime Minister, Budapest identifies Ukraine as the attacked party and has the right to protect its territorial integrity.
However, he emphasized that it does not mean that Hungary will participate in military support.
We still maintain humanitarian aid to Ukraine, but Hungary will not provide weapons or soldiers to Ukraine," Peter Magyar said.
According to the Hungarian leader, this decision reflects the commitment that the government made to voters in the parliamentary elections in April.
He said Budapest's stance on not directly involved in the conflict still received widespread support in the country.
Meanwhile, Hungary continues to participate in NATO activities and affirms its commitment to the common security of the alliance.
Hungarian Prime Minister Peter Magyar also revealed that he had a brief exchange with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on July 7.
According to him, the two sides agreed to hold a bilateral meeting in the near future to exchange views on issues of mutual concern.
Although not participating in military aid, Hungary has maintained humanitarian assistance programs for Ukraine since the conflict broke out.
For many years, Budapest has been one of NATO members with the most cautious stance on providing weapons to Kiev.
The Hungarian government has repeatedly affirmed that its priority is to avoid the conflict from spreading, while ensuring security and stability in the region.
Prime Minister Peter Magyar's statement was made in the context of the NATO summit continuing to discuss measures to support Ukraine as well as the alliance's security strategy in the face of new developments in the conflict.
Hungary's stance is considered different from many NATO member countries that are continuing to expand military aid to Kiev.
