Hungary's Foreign Minister confirms refusal to supply weapons to Ukraine 'to not prolong war'
Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó (Getty Images)
Hungary will never supply weapons to Ukraine because the more weapons are supplied, the longer the war will last, according to Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs Péter Szijjártó.
Szijjártó added that Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in October to explore possibilities for peace in the conflict.
Despite being an EU member, Hungary maintains friendlier ties with Russia, opposing European sanctions against Moscow and efforts to restrict the import of Russian oil and gas. Hungary defends its energy cooperation with Russia, citing the need to support energy supplies and combat inflation.
Hungary's stance on Ukraine
Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orbán openly holds a pro-Russian stance and frequently makes statements discrediting Ukraine. In October, he met with Putin in Beijing.
Since the start of the full-scale war, Hungary has not provided military assistance to Ukraine and continues to block EU sanctions against Russia. Moreover, Budapest continues to engage in trade with Russia, with Hungarian officials visiting Moscow.
EU officials announced last month that the bloc is considering providing assistance to Hungary to secure Budapest's support for Ukraine. However, sources from Bloomberg involved in preparing the EU leaders' summit on December 14-15, discussing Ukraine-related issues, expressed growing skepticism about influencing Orbán.
