Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó delivered a strong response on Tuesday to his Luxembourg counterpart Jean Asselborn, who accused Hungary in the United Nations general assembly of lacking solidarity towards Ukraine.
“We Hungarians have taken in more than a million refugees from Ukraine. I am not exactly sure of the Luxembourg figure, but it is probably not close to that,” the Hungarian minister said in defense of Budapest’s humanitarian response to the ongoing conflict with Russia.
Asselborn’s favorite sport is “criticizing Hungary,” Szijjártó said.
“We represent a nation whose members are dying in war in ever-increasing numbers. I assume, and I also hope, that not a single Luxembourger has died in the war in Ukraine, nor will they ever die, I wish them that,” he added.
The Hungarian foreign minister said representatives of the pro-war position do not shy away from making statements threatening to escalate the conflict, while the overwhelming majority of the world wants the fighting to end, as the price of the conflict is being paid by everyone, including Hungary.
Meanwhile, Hungarians are being greatly affected by a matter of which is not their fault, he added.
“Yesterday, statements were repeatedly made, and representatives of the transatlantic world made speeches here which clearly foreshadow the continuation of the war, and which clearly entail the risk of escalation,” Szijjártó said.
“I believe that the task remains clear. We need to turn up the volume in the pro-peace camp and make it clear that the overwhelming majority of the world now wants peace. No matter how many people attack us, no matter how much pressure is put on us, no matter how much criticism we face, we Hungarians will continue to stand for peace.”
“We have many allies on this issue, because the global majority wants peace,” Szijjártó said. “We are part of the global majority, we all want peace, and it is time to turn up the volume of this peace camp in New York.”
