The first Russia-US negotiations, seen as the first step toward ending the Russia-Ukraine war, under way in Riyadh are over. The two sides agreed to continue organizing meetings and have begun preparations for a Trump–Putin summit.
Hungary's FM sees a good chance for peace
Hungary is closely following the direct Russia-US consultations taking place in Saudi Arabia, as good relations between the United States and Russia always benefit global security,
Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Peter Szijjarto said in New York on Tuesday.
In its statement, the foreign ministry emphasized Szijjarto’s support for direct Russian-American negotiations, aimed at relaunching cooperation and ending the war in Ukraine.
Good US-Russia relations always benefit world security. If there is Russia-US cooperation based on common sense and mutual respect, which is assessed or proves to be effective for both sides, then it is good for the world. It makes the world a safer place,
he highlighted.
As a result, I think it is good news, the best news of recent months, that Russia-US consultations are under way or were under way in Riyadh between the foreign minister counterparts, and I believe that in the issue of peace in Ukraine, there's a greater chance than ever in the last three years for peace to finally arrive,
he added.
Hungary attacked for its pro-peace stance
Peter Szijjarto also addressed Hungary's role.
Hungary is ready for a new era of reality in global politics and prepared to play its part in making the world a better place,
the foreign minister said.
The inauguration of US President Donald Trump has ushered in a totally new era in world politics, Peter Szijjarto said in his speech at a UN Security Council open debate, according to the ministry's statement. He described Trump as a patriotic and sovereigntist leader who has his feet on the ground, and fights against woke ideology and the global dictatorship of the international liberal mainstream.
In his remark, he recalled that the Hungarian government has been pursuing a conservative, Christian, patriotic, pro-peace and anti-migration policy for fifteen years, even though it's been in the crossfire of serious attacks because of it.
The liberal mainstream and woke ideology have poisoned international politics by eliminating mutual respect, replacing it with labeling, lecturing, and blackmail, he said, adding that this has led to the age of dangers humanity is experiencing.
We Hungarians live next door in the shadow of the Ukrainian war, which has caused much harm and loss to our country. This conflict has been fueled by the international liberal mainstream, which labeled and attacked all those calling for peace,
he noted.
Special recognition is therefore due to those countries that have sustained the pro-peace stance despite difficult circumstances,
he said, China’s creation of the Friends of Peace group at the latest UN General Assembly as an example.
Hungary was right all along
Peter Szijjarto emphasized that the US presidential election brought significant changes, including a pro-peace president, which increased the chances for resolving the Ukrainian conflict. He welcomed the high-level, direct consultations between US and Russian officials that took place during the day.
We have supported keeping communication channels open, seeking diplomatic solutions, and maintaining relations with the Russian Federation for the past three years. We faced massive attacks for this stance in international politics. We said that solutions would not be reached on the battlefield, where only destruction exists. Only negotiations can bring peace,
he recalled.
What is happening now shows that we were right,
he added.
We wish the United States and the Russian Federation all the best in their direct negotiations. We hope today’s meeting was successful, and we hope for a successful summit soon. Good US-Russia relations are good news for the world. We are ready for the new era of global politics and ready to do our part to make the world a better place again,
he concluded.
Peter Szijjarto also noted that the UN must adapt to the new global political realities or risk losing relevance.
The leaders must leave their comfort zones and ivory towers and come up with innovative reform proposals to reduce overlapping functions, eliminate unnecessary functions, cut costs, and increase efficiency,
he pointed out. He announced that Hungary is ready to host additional UN organisations.
China's role in promoting peace
Speaking about his talks with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, Peter Szijjarto stressed China’s efforts to keep the cause of peace alive despite difficulties over the past few years.
China deserves gratitude for keeping the cause of peace alive under incredibly difficult circumstances, which is why it’s essential to maintain cooperation with the East Asian nation. Hungary has benefited greatly from this cooperation over the past few years,
he said, emphasizing Hungary’s gains from working with China.
And we would have lost much had we not cooperated with China. If we had yielded to the liberal mainstream whose governors can be found also in Hungary, and who continually pressed for cutting cooperation with China, cutting European-China relations, saying that cooperation with China was not correct. Had we listened to them, we would have lost very many opportunities and very many serious economic achievements,
he underlined. He highlighted that Chinese companies brought to Hungary the most investments in 2020, 2023 and 2024, and during the past ten years some 54 large investment projects have arrived from China at a total value of over 17 billion euros, creating some 40 thousand jobs.
These investments have enabled Hungary to become a leader in the global car industry revolution which has been unprecedented for a long time.
Peter Szijjarto said China is the number two import source for Hungary, and trade turnover has been above 10 billion dollars annually for several years in a row.
(Photo: MTI)
He also said that for the first time since the coronavirus pandemic, last year the number of guest nights by Chinese tourists returned to above half a million, with 21 regular flights between Budapest and seven Chinese cities each week. He added that Hungary was the biggest central European food exporter to China.
Hungary being a landlocked, small- or medium-sized nation with few energy resources, deep integration in international trade is a key issue for our economic performance. Thus, ensuring that global trade can function smoothly is crucial,
he warned.
Dividing the world into blocs is against our interests. Connectivity and global economic cooperation based on mutual respect fall in line with our interests, which is why we cooperate with China,
he added. The minister criticized Europe’s liberal mainstream for what he called "suicidal policies," which caused harm to the continent’s economy, citing as an example tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles strongly opposed also by major car manufacturers.
Hungary has become a meeting point of eastern and western investments, and has greatly benefited from cooperation with China. As a result, we have a vested interest in not only Hungarian-Chinese cooperation to survive but also in cooperation between China and the European Union to return to normal. Trade cooperation should not be about the formation of blocs and an economic cold war, but about effective cooperation based on respect,
Hungary's minister of foreign affairs and trade concluded.
Cover photo: Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Peter Szijjarto speaks during a meeting with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, with Ambassador Zsuzsanna Horvath, Hungary's Permanent Representative to the UN in attendance, in New York on February 18, 2025 (Photo: MTI)
