The Hungarian government is preparing for the war in Ukraine to go on under the assumption that the war will not come to an end anytime soon.
“The change is negative. We are in a very dangerous period. The next six months will be decisive in terms of whether the world is heading towards war or peace,” cabinet minister Gergely Gulyás said.
The top official said there is more bad news than good, and he believes Europe is heading towards more war and not less.
“War fever has spread from Brussels bureaucrats to the continent’s leading politicians. Europe’s leading politicians are communicating that they would send troops to Ukraine, even though this was previously a red line. (…) NATO has so far only commented on what is happening there, but has not become a party to the conflict, rejecting the possibility of intervention at the risk of a world war. If NATO’s military force is deployed in Ukraine, it carries a risk that must be avoided at all costs. This has been the Alliance’s position so far,” Gulyás said.
The European Union wants to create a fund of €100 million within the framework of the NATO mission in Ukraine. They want to use it to help with military training and to coordinate arms supplies. Gulyás warned that the red line of NATO sending troops to Ukraine is already becoming blurred.
Hungary is seriously concerned about these developments and looks to NATO as a defense alliance and not an offensive one, according to Gulyás. The Hungarian government believes there is no military solution to the war and that a ceasefire is needed.
We must prepare for a protracted war
The Hungarian government has also considered the consequences of a period of war for the Hungarian economy. Gulyás said the most important decision will be made by the Americans, and the world will be a different place if Donald Trump wins.
The next six months will be crucial, he said, with much riding on who wins the U.S. presidential election in November. For this reason, the Hungarian government will not table a spending amendment until after Nov. 5.
Gulyás also said that the government’s position within NATO is that Hungary should stay out of war, and he believes Hungary has the right to impose this standard on the rest of NATO, as the alliance is based on unanimous decision-making.
