Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó had his first official contact with Marco Rubio, the new U.S. secretary of state,, after which Szijjártó said, “We reaffirmed our mutual commitment to putting the relationship between our two countries on a new foundation,” reports Magyar Nemzet,
The Hungarian foreign minister highlighted that Hungary has suffered serious security and economic damage as a result of the war in Ukraine, and the primary goal of the Trump administration is to end the conflict.
Rubio emphasized that one of the most important goals of the new American leadership is to establish peace, and Szijjártó confirmed Hungary’s support for any initiative that brings the war closer to an end.
“Living next door to war is not only dangerous, but also causes significant economic damage, so it is in our interest that Donald Trump succeeds in his peace efforts,” he said.
According to the foreign minister, Rubio said that measures taken under the previous Democratic-led administration will be reviewed, with Szijjártó hailing the start of a new golden age in Hungarian-American political relations.
Szijjártó and Rubio also discussed an in-person meeting, which could happen in the near future.
Szijjártó told the press that the Trump administration’s objectives are identical to Hungarian interests on many important issues, including migration, peace, family support, and respect for sovereignty, and he welcomed Trump’s first executive orders issued last week.
Meanwhile, Szijjártó had strong words for Polish PM Donald Tusk, who posted his outrage at the Hungarian government last October over resistance to EU sanctions against Russia.
“If Viktor Orbán actually blocks European sanctions at a key moment in the war, it will be absolutely clear that in this great game for the security and future of Europe, he is playing on Putin’s team, not ours. With all the consequences of this fact,” Tusk had posted.
“It may be hard for a Soros agent to understand, but when it comes to ‘teams,’ we play for the Hungarian team. That’s why we defend Hungarian interests. For us, Hungary comes first!” Szijjártó shot back, reports Do Rzeczy.
PM Orbán has made his stance on sanctions clear, saying: “It is time to throw sanctions out the window and establish sanctions-free relations with Russia.” He has also been pushing for Ukraine to reopen its pipelines to allow Russian gas to flow to Europe.
The unanimous consent of all 27 European Union member states is required to pass sanctions, with the next meeting to discuss a possible extension of sanctions against Russia being held on Jan. 31.
The Hungarian prime minister has repeatedly said peace is necessary to achieve the goals of Hungarian economic policy and that only with peace achieved can there be any serious discussion about Ukraine, most likely referring to the country’s possible EU and NATO membership, although he has vocally objected to both.
Last week, after meeting with Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico, Orbán spoke about the economic threat posed by Ukraine. “If Ukraine were to join the European Union today, it would devastate Hungary. There are no answers today to the question of how we would protect Slovak, Hungarian, or other EU citizens’ living standards with Ukraine in the Union,” he said.
