At Thursday’s European Council meeting, 26 member states expressed their support for Ukraine in a political declaration. However, Peter Szijjarto emphasized on Kossuth Radio’s Sunday News program that this declaration holds no legal significance. He pointed out that unanimity is a fundamental principle in the EU’s foreign and security policies, meaning that even a single member state can block a legally binding decision.
Peter Szijjarto: EU on wrong path for three years
According to Szijjarto, the EU has been pursuing a pro-war policy that has lead to a dead end.
He added that arms shipments to Ukraine and billions of euros in aid have not achieved the desired outcome but have only prolonged the war. Meanwhile, Europe has weakened both financially and economically, while Brussels continues to focus on maintaining the Ukrainian military and accelerating Ukraine’s EU accession.
"This places enormous pressure on the EU, which even in better times would have struggled to achieve these goals," he said.
For three years, Europe has fueled the Russia-Ukraine conflict and destroyed its own competitiveness with sanctions against Russia,
he said. He added that arms shipments to Ukraine and billions of euros in aid have not had the desired effect, but have instead contributed to prolonging the war between Russia and Ukraine. Szijjarto said the continent has weakened both financially and economically, while Brussels is preparing to maintain the Ukrainian army and speed up Ukraine's accession to the EU.
This puts enormous pressure on the EU, which could never achieve these goals, not even when it was in better shape,
he remarked.
EU is pursuing a pro-war policy
Szijjarto criticized Brussels for blindly adhering to its pro-war policy and refusing to acknowledge reality. In contrast, he stated, Hungary has consistently stood by its pro-peace position.
For three years, we have been saying that peace in Europe can only be restored through a U.S.-Russia agreement,
he emphasized. He expressed confidence that under Donald Trump's presidency, U.S. diplomacy could initiate a peace process. However, he accused EU liberal politicians of trying to obstruct Trump’s peace efforts.
The pro-war European liberal forces are undermining Trump’s peace initiatives because they contradict their own agenda,
he claimed. Szijjarto also stated that Trump had previously opposed woke ideology and liberal opinion dictatorship, making him a target for political opponents who seek to prevent his success.
Hungary stands firm in its position
Szijjarto reaffirmed that Hungary will not change its stance and continues to oppose "senseless" arms shipments to Ukraine.
We must insist that increasing Europe’s defense capabilities and the massive flow of weapons and money into Ukraine are two separate issues
he stated. In his view, a long-term security strategy cannot be formulated without considering Russia.
For three years, we have maintained diplomatic channels with Russia, and now Donald Trump has also reopened them,
he pointed out, arguing that diplomacy is a more effective solution than complete isolation. The Hungarian government remains committed to peace and diplomatic solutions and will not yield to external pressure, the foreign minister concluded.
Cover photo: Peter Szijjarto, Hungary's Foreign Affairs and Trade Minister (Photo: AFP)
