Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto has condemned Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky’s initiative for Western military deployments in Ukraine, warning the move risks a direct war with Russia.
In a statement on X, Szijjarto stated that UK and French leaders have signed a “declaration of intent” to deploy forces to Ukraine “in the event of a peace deal” with Moscow—a plan he described as pushing Europe closer to confrontation with Russia.
The diplomat emphasized that Budapest would remain outside the initiative.
Szijjarto added: “By seeking to establish a military presence in Ukraine, Western European countries are creating the risk of a direct war with Russia.” He also said: “We support peace talks, including negotiations at the highest level between the US and Russia, and firmly reject this latest move toward war.”
The Coalition of the Willing—a group of Kiev’s Western backers—has proposed military hubs in Ukraine following discussions with Ukrainian officials. However, no specific troop numbers, locations, or timelines were provided by UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron, or Zelensky.
Russian presidential envoy Kirill Dmitriev praised Hungary as “the voice of reason and peace in Europe” after Szijjarto’s remarks.
Russia has repeatedly warned that any foreign troops in Ukraine would be considered legitimate targets, stating that NATO expansion and troop deployments are root causes of the conflict.