Hungary agrees not to block aid to Ukraine

NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg says Hungary has agreed not to block the alliance's support for Ukraine, but has decided not to provide soldiers or funds to help the war-torn country.

Stoltenberg met with NATO member states during a recent tour to try to drum up support, ahead of next month's summit in Washington, for expanding the alliance's role in military support for Ukraine.

Hungary has been at odds with other NATO countries because its prime minister, Viktor Orban, has consistently maintained close ties with Russia and refused to send weapons to Ukraine to defend against the Russian invader.

"Hungary does not participate in these NATO efforts and I accept its position," Stoltenberg told reporters in Budapest, after the meeting with Orban on June 12.

Prime Minister of Hungary, Viktor Orban. Photo from the archive.

"At the same time, the prime minister has assured me that Hungary will not oppose these efforts, enabling other allies to move forward. He has confirmed that Hungary will continue to fully fulfill its obligations in NATO", he added.

At the same press conference, Orbani confirmed that Hungary will not block NATO's support for Ukraine.

Since Russia launched a full-scale invasion of its neighbor Ukraine in February 2022, Orbani has cultivated close ties with the Kremlin, and angered Brussels by refusing to join EU sanctions against Moscow, or allow as other NATO countries do, sending weapons to Ukraine.

Western governments are unhappy with Orbán's continued warm relationship with Moscow, as well as delays in ratifying Sweden's accession to NATO, although Budapest eventually agreed to its accession.

The Secretary General of NATO, General Jens Stoltenberg, during his visit to Ukraine.

Hungary had asked the military alliance not to take part in providing military support to Ukraine in exchange for being allowed to make decisions, meaning it would not use its veto.

NATO takes all its decisions by consensus.

NATO intends to create a plan to give Ukraine more military support in the coming years to repel the Russian invasion, because the better-armed Russian forces are in control on the battlefield.

The alliance will hold a summit next month in Washington, where its leaders aim to finalize the plan./ REL