Hungary has announced that it will not be participating in NATO’s long-term plan to support Ukraine, calling it a “crazy mission”. Despite facing pressure to join the initiative, Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto emphasized Hungary’s decision to stand aside. This decision comes after NATO allies agreed in April to establish a $107 billion fund for a long-term military support plan for Ukraine against Russia’s military campaign.
NATO has taken over coordination work from the US-led Ramstein group as part of this plan. However, the Hungarian government spokesman, Zoltan Kovacs, expressed opposition to NATO’s initiative and stated that Budapest does not support proposals that could potentially bring the alliance closer to conflict or transition it from a defensive to an offensive stance. This disagreement has further strained relations between Hungary and NATO.
Tensions have been exacerbated by Hungary’s delay in ratifying Sweden’s accession to NATO and Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s strong ties to Russia. These issues have led to warnings from NATO about the risks of Hungary’s close relationship with Moscow, with concerns about how this may impact Hungary’s security interests moving forward.