"Those Wanting NATO to Enter Risk World War"

Kristof Szalay-Bobrovniczky spoke on Tuesday about the already visible consequences of the Russian-Ukrainian war, the changing security situation in Europe and the threats NATO faces. Hungary's minister of defense was speaking at a large scale Hungarian Atlantic Council conference, marking the 75th anniversary of NATO's founding and the 25th anniversary of Hungary's NATO membership.

Hungarian Minister of Defense Kristof Szalay-Bobrovniczky delivers a speech marking the 25th anniversary of Hungary's NATO accession and the 75th anniversary of NATO's founding at the barracks of the Klapka Gyorgy 1st Armored Brigade in Tata on March 12, 2024 (Photo: MTI/Boglarka Bodnar)

"The issue of security has become our top priority," Kristof Szalay-Bobrovniczky said on Tuesday at a major Hungarian Atlantic Council (MAT) conference, organized to mark the 75th anniversary NATO's founding and the 25th anniversary of Hungary's membership. The defense minister warned that there are signs of a possible escalation of the Russia-Ukraine war, in which neither Hungary nor NATO should get involved, and that the utmost must be done to achieve a ceasefire and peace talks. "Those who want to take NATO to war are risking the outbreak of a world war," he stressed.

Russian forces have announced a nuclear capabilities exercise, signalling the swinging of the escalation pendulum to ever more extreme levels,

the minister said.

Marking Sweden's accession to NATO, the NATO flag is raised in the presence of Swedish Minister for Climate and Environment Romina Pourmokhtari (left) and Swedish Minister of Justice Gunnar Strommer (background) at the Swedish Navy base on Musko Island, south of Stockholm, March 11, 2024 (Photo: MTI/EPA/TT/Fredrik Sandberg)

Looking back on the country's 25 years in NATO, the minister stressed that Hungary has always been an active member of the defense alliance: tripling defense budget spending and managing to channel two percent of GDP  into defense. He added that we participate in several NATO missions and the Hungarian armed fores also perform airspace missions. In addition, 2024 will be a very active year for Hungary, as we will take over the rotating EU presidency, in which defense will be a priority.

Without sovereign, strong national military forces, there is no point to NATO,

he pointed out, stressing the importance of developing and modernizing the armed forces.

He added that the Hungarian government is committed to the EU's common security and defense policy.

Europe is risking its own security for Ukraine

Kristof Szalay-Bobrovniczky also said that "Europe's defense industry is not prepared for a security threat". He stressed that erratic actions can be seen, partly on the part of countries that are sending weapons to Ukraine and emptying their own strategic reserves in the process.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky (left) and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg speak to the press after arriving at a two-day meeting of NATO defense ministers in Brussels on October 11, 2023 (Photo: MTI/EPA/Olivier Matthys)

Cold War threats revived

According to the MoD, the Russia-Ukraine war has proved that history is not over, that we are living in an era of dangers, and that the disintegration of the Soviet Union has not ended the conflicts on the continent. He said that although the Western elite may have felt that history had ended, reality had kicked down the door to this idea, which also created a sense of panic. Kristof Szalay-Bobrovniczky summarizes the main consequences of the Russo-Ukrainian war in eight points:

1. There is a growing risk that Europe will be marginalized.
2. Much of the negative impact of the global power shift taking place before our eyes affects Europe and its neighbors - including the conflict to our east, the Western Balkans and Africa.
3. Europe's leading power continues to be the United States, which sets EU defense policy.
4. Meanwhile, US attention is shifting to the Indo-Pacific region - giving rise to questioning, from a dynamics perspective, the Western great power's long-term commitment to trans-Atlantic relations.
5. The deteriorating security conditions have made everyone wise up and budget increases have started, but the public behind these governments is not ready to fight any war - they are expecting peace and the end of the war.
6. The nature of NATO has changed following the Finnish and Swedish accessions and the decisions of the Madrid and Vilnius summits: the alliance aims to provide effective deterrence and protection against current threats.
7. The global power shift is progressing towards blocification, which can be countered by connectivity.
8. In the world as a whole, European influence has declined, giving way to the growing influence of Russia, China and to some extent even Turkey.

 

What kind of Europe does Hungary envision?

At the end of his presentation, the minister also spoke about the kind of Europe Hungary wants to see.

In his view, a Europe is needed that can independently guarantee the security of its citizens on its own.

He also called for more connectivity rather than blocification, and for the integration of the Western Balkans. He stressed that Hungary is working to strengthen its own defense capabilities. He added that defense has become a priority and that we have become contributors to security rather than mere consumers of it.

At the end of his speech, he mentioned the concrete steps Hungary intends to take to further increase its defense capabilities, including growing the defense budget, the comprehensive military modernization program and the transformation of the organizational culture. "We are building a revamped Hungarian Defense Force that hardly resembles our forces of even a decade ago that operated military technology of Soviet-Russia origin and were doctrinally similar to them," he said. MoD Szalay-Bobrovniczky stressed the importance of the defense industry, which is capable of producing for export as well as meeting Hungarian needs.

Cover photo: Hungarian Minister of Defense Kristof Szalay-Bobrovniczky delivers a speech marking the 25th anniversary of Hungary's  NATO accession and the 75th anniversary of NATO's founding at the barracks of the Klapka Gyorgy 1st Armored Brigade in Tata on March 12, 2024 (Photo: MTI/Boglarka Bodnar)