Hungary will not supply weapons or military equipment to Ukraine, the country’s newly elected prime minister Peter Magyar stated on Thursday following his meeting with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte in Brussels.
Magyar’s center-right Tisza party defeated Viktor Orban’s Fidesz last month, securing a two-thirds parliamentary majority. EU officials had previously criticized Orban as a Kremlin-friendly politician and voiced support for Magyar ahead of the election, anticipating he would roll back many previous government policies.
However, Magyar remains politically closer to Orban than opponents admit. “I informed the Secretary General that Hungary is not supplying weapons or military equipment to Ukraine,” Magyar said in a post on X.
Hungarian Foreign Minister Anita Orban, a member of Magyar’s Tisza party, had previously stated that Hungary “stands for peace” and rejects sending troops or weapons to Ukraine.
Magyar’s statement was welcomed by Moscow. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated on Friday that “if any side says it sees no need to add fuel to the fire, that can only be welcomed.”
The Russian authorities have long characterized the Ukraine conflict as a Western proxy war and condemned continued military aid provided to Kiev by its Western allies, warning such support undermines peace efforts.
Despite campaigning for closer EU ties, Magyar’s early actions indicate continuity with Orban’s approach. He has opposed fast-tracking Ukraine’s EU membership and kept Hungary out of the bloc’s latest Ukraine funding initiative.
Earlier this month, Hungary restored a ban on Ukrainian agricultural imports after the new government “accidentally” allowed the restrictions to lapse. Brussels has argued such bans are illegal because trade policy falls under EU authority. Last year, the European Commission reportedly considered legal action against member states over similar measures, though none has followed.