As Hungary has kept the channels of communication with Russia open, it is ready to mediate with Russia in order to preserve peace and preserve human lives, Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó said at the Peace Conference in Switzerland.
“Hungary is practically the last European country that has not broken off communication with Russia. Hungary is the last country to hold talks with Russia,” said the Hungarian minister while speaking at the peace conference, which notably was not attended by Russia. Szijjártó added that Hungary’s role in brokering a peace deal could be decisive.
In addition, Szijjártó said that in order to “save children, to save families from being torn apart,” Hungary is ready to play its part in the peace process.
“Please do not consider it a bad thing that the channels of communication are open,” he added.
The Hungarian minister said that he represented a country neighboring Ukraine, a country that has been living in the shadow of war for almost two and a half years and has therefore been directly confronted with the humanitarian consequences of the war, according to Hungarian news outlet InfoStart.
There are currently around 1,600 schools and kindergartens in Hungary attended by children of Ukrainian refugee families, Szijjártó added.
The Hungarian foreign minister also said that there are about 150,000 Hungarians living in the western part of Ukraine, so Hungary is well aware of the suffering that Ukrainian citizens — including Hungarians from Transcarpathia — have had to endure over the past two and a half years.
“We know how many of them were sent to the front, we know how many died,” he said.
The Hungarian minister stressed that “we are ready, we are available, and if you have any message in this regard, we will gladly convey it to Moscow or St Petersburg to save children, families, and prevent more families from being torn apart.”
