Hungary Is Against Sending NATO Troops to Ukraine, Supports U.S.-Russian Talks

Feb. 8—Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has declared that his country would not support sending NATO troops to a war against Russia. This was in response to NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte’s statement Feb. 3 before Ukraine’s unicameral parliament, the Verkhovna Rada, that the so-called Coalition of the Willing would deploy troops to Ukraine right after a peace agreement with Russia was reached.

“It’s not just about what the NATO secretary general said, but also about written agreements between France and Great Britain” on sending troops to Ukraine, Orban told the Kossuth radio station.

“The Russians keep saying, ‘Don’t do it because Western troops will become a legitimate target if they enter Ukraine,’” Orban stressed. In his opinion, that would mean “that a European army, European soldiers, would fight Russians in Ukraine.”

“This is why we must make it clear that under no circumstances will we become engaged in a war with Russia, be it in Russia or in Ukraine,” the Hungarian Prime Minister emphasized. According to him, Hungary is ready to offer limited, not full, support to NATO allies.

In a separate development, Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto welcomed talks between Russia and the United States. “Unfortunately, Brussels and Western Europeans undermine peace efforts, but two good things happened today,” MTI news agency quoted Szijjarto as saying Feb. 5. "A Russian-Ukrainian prisoner exchange agreement was reached, brokered with U.S. mediation and assistance, enabling hundreds of detainees to return home to their families and loved ones. This is good news.

“And it is fantastic news that the United States and Russia decided to restore high-level military dialogue,” Szijjarto stressed. According to him, it is clear that “when the Americans and the Russians resume military dialogue, the world is safer than before. This is a step forward for global security, and we welcome it,” the minister added.