Photo: Facebook/Szijjártó Péter
Eurasia/MTI
02/06/2025 17:55
Speaking before the meeting of the Defence Council, the minister pointed out that based on the brutal military actions of recent days, one can conclude that the war in Ukraine will last longer than expected. Therefore, the Hungarian government must prepare for further political attacks due to its pro-peace position.
He reported that he had spoken on the phone with his Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov, with whom he reviewed the state of the war, the conditions resulting from the devastating military operations of recent days, and the prospects for peace.
“I reaffirmed my position that Hungary stands on the side of peace. We are interested in a ceasefire and peace talks, so I thanked Sergey Lavrov for initiating the continuation of the Russian–Ukrainian peace negotiations in Istanbul today. I also expressed my gratitude that these negotiations are taking place despite the fact that, following the weekend's military actions, many inside and outside Russia tried to persuade the Russian government not to allow the talks in Istanbul to proceed today,” he said.
He then expressed hope that some progress might be achieved at the negotiations and welcomed the fact that a phone consultation had again taken place between the U.S. and Russian foreign ministers.
“This is reassuring news for Hungary, because here in Central Europe, we know full well that as long as the Americans and Russians remain in direct contact, the risk of the war escalating is lower,” he said.
He also reported that he had asked his Russian counterpart to maintain direct communication with the American leadership, and signs indicate that there is mutual willingness to do so.
“This, on the one hand, still carries the hope of eventually achieving peace, and on the other hand, it definitely reduces the risk of wartime escalation,” he stressed.
Péter Szijjártó also addressed Hungarian–Russian energy cooperation, explaining that Russian energy sources are of key importance to Hungary, as they make it possible to ensure that Hungarian families pay the lowest utility costs in Europe.
“I told Sergey Lavrov that we want to maintain this cooperation, and he assured me that this is also Russia’s goal,” he emphasised.
“The long-term contractual framework for oil and gas deliveries is in place, the infrastructure is in place, and the Russians continue to fulfill their contractual obligations,” he continued.
“If the European Commission – Brussels – cuts off Hungarian–Russian energy cooperation in an effort to support Ukraine, the result will be that Hungarian families will have to pay two to three times more for their utility bills than they have so far, and that is clearly unacceptable for us,” he stressed.
The minister therefore welcomed the fact that direct contact continues between the United States and Russia, and that peace negotiations are underway in Istanbul.
“It is becoming clear that there is a sharp division within the transatlantic community: while President Donald Trump wants peace – and we support him in this – Western Europeans, naturally allied with the Ukrainians, want to continue the war. This makes peacemaking more difficult and suggests that this war will be longer and more brutal than we had hoped,” he stressed.
“Hungary will not give up its pro-peace position; we will not abandon our energy cooperation with the Russians, and we will continue to support Donald Trump’s peace plan,” he concluded.