The majority of liberal leaders in Brussels support the continuation of the war, the Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó said in an interview with Irish journalist Chay Bowes on the Russian news channel RT, which is banned in the EU.
“These political leaders have pursued a very bad strategy since the war broke out. This strategy has caused many dangers and much damage to Europe, both in terms of security and in terms of economy,” Szijjártó told listeners.
The Hungarian government’s clear position is that the war in Ukraine can only be stopped through negotiations, but this requires a ceasefire first and then an American-Russian agreement, Szijjártó said. Pro-war politicians in Brussels, he argued, are not interested in a ceasefire, as it would draw attention to their own faulty political decisions.
Hungary’s clear pro-peace stance goes against the pro-war EU majority, and that is why they are trying to politically isolate the country, said Szijjártó.
Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó to RT:
— Sprinter Observer (@SprinterObserve) March 22, 2025
Szijjártó claims that the EU has isolated itself because:Competitions to see who will say something bad about Trump;
According to the foreign minister, the sooner the war ends, the sooner the leaders in Brussels will have to explain to their voters why they supported a strategy that failed. That is why they are trying to push Hungary out of decision-making.
“There are issues in the European Union that can only be decided unanimously. That’s what the treaties, the European agreements say. And of course, those who are supposedly champions of liberal democracy are looking for ways to bypass and circumvent these European regulations and treaties, said the foreign minister, adding that those who favor war are afraid of peace.
Szijjártó highlighted that the leaders in Brussels fear that they would be held accountable after the war ends, because the flawed strategy they have advocated in recent years would then become apparent.
European Union leaders, he said, are unable to accept that there is a right-wing government based on Christian values, which is successful and unwilling to automatically follow all Brussels directives.
Hungary “goes very openly against the liberal mainstream, does not echo what is dictated from Brussels every day, and yet is successful,” said the minister.
In the interview, the foreign minister emphasized that “everything has changed” with Donald Trump taking office and being on the side of peace.
“We very much appreciate the ongoing negotiations between the United States and Russia. We hope they will be successful,” he told listeners.
According to the minister, good U.S.-Russian relations are also a positive development for global security, while tensions between the two countries have the opposite effect on world stability. He also mentioned that while Hungary views energy issues in a practical and geographically realistic way, others approach the issue on an ideological basis.
This, in his opinion, is completely wrong, noting that “you can’t heat houses and satisfy economic needs with ideology.” Russia was a reliable energy source, he explained, while some neighboring countries have not become reliable transit partners. The minister also called attacks against the Friendship oil pipeline or the TurkStream unacceptable.
According to Szijjártó, political and economic attacks against Hungary have been going on for 15 years, but they have now become more brazen due to the circumstances. He sees a similar method currently being used against Serbia, where street demonstrations are being organized and external interventions are taking place. According to him, the aim of these is the same: to destabilize sovereign national governments.
At the same time, the foreign minister emphasized that the Hungarian government continues to make decisions based on its national interests.
“We will always pursue our national interests. We will always act in our own national interests, as we have done so far,” he said.
Notably, RT has been banned from being by Europeans following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Rights organizations have labeled the move a serious threat to free speech, and a sign of what might come to other press outlets, especially if alternative ones that do not toe the mainstream line.
