Magyar tells Rutte: Hungary will not supply weapons to Ukraine

Hungary’s new prime minister, Péter Magyar, told NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte at a meeting that Budapest has no intention of sending either weapons or military equipment to Ukraine.

“I informed the Secretary General that Hungary will not be sending weapons or military equipment to the Russian-Ukrainian war,” Magyar wrote on Facebook following the talks.

According to Magyar, the meeting also covered Hungary’s role in NATO and the participation of Hungarian troops in the alliance’s peacekeeping mission in Kosovo. Magyar said Budapest intends to remain a “reliable partner” of the alliance, and that Rutte, in his words, spoke highly of the work of Hungarian servicemembers.

In addition, the NATO Secretary General briefed the Hungarian prime minister on preparations for the alliance summit, to be held on July 7–8 in Ankara, and discussed the situation around the Strait of Hormuz with him.

Magyar’s position on Ukraine remains broadly restrictive. According to Politico, he opposes arms deliveries to Kyiv and opposes accelerating Ukraine’s accession to the EU. Members of the European Parliament from his Tisza party voted in the European Parliament against granting Ukraine a loan of €90 billion.

On the question of relations with Russia, Magyar has stated his intention to follow a “pragmatic” approach based on mutual respect for sovereignty and non-interference in internal affairs. The Kremlin responded by saying it could note “with satisfaction” the Hungarian side’s readiness for dialogue.

Notably, during his election campaign Magyar criticized his predecessor Viktor Orbán for drawing closer to Moscow. He recalled that in 1989 Orbán had demanded the withdrawal of Soviet troops from Hungary, but had now, in Magyar’s words, become “the Kremlin’s most loyal ally.”

In April, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha stated Kyiv’s intention to normalize relations with Budapest. According to him, Ukraine expects that the change of power in Hungary following the parliamentary elections will lead to a normalization of relations between the two countries.