A senior Hungarian minister has called for the West to provide security guarantees to Russia and to prohibit Ukraine from joining NATO, potentially straining relations between Budapest and Kyiv.
Gergely Gulyás, the minister in charge of the prime minister’s office, emphasized the need for lasting peace and urged the Western world to offer security assurances to Russia. He made these remarks during a university event, echoing Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s recent statements. Orbán had suggested that the West should negotiate with Russia to establish a new security framework that ensures Ukraine’s security and sovereignty without offering NATO membership.
These calls are expected to intensify tensions between Hungary and Ukraine. EU foreign ministers were recently unable to approve an eighth tranche of military aid worth €500 million for Ukraine due to Hungary’s objections. Budapest took this action after Kyiv designated Hungary’s OTP bank as an international sponsor of war.
Despite these disagreements, Hungarian President Katalin Novák visited Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy last month in an attempt to improve bilateral relations. Since 2018, Hungary has blocked Ukraine from participating in NATO ministerial-level meetings, citing discrimination against Hungarian ethnic minorities.
In addition, Hungarian lawmakers have been delaying the ratification of Sweden’s NATO membership. While Hungary acknowledges that NATO would become stronger with Sweden’s inclusion, Gulyás emphasized the need for clarification from Stockholm regarding previous accusations made against Hungary.
These comments reflect Hungary’s unique position in navigating its relations with Ukraine, Russia, and NATO, and they further underscore the complexity of diplomatic efforts in Eastern Europe.
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