Hungary FM Calls on NATO Chief to Refrain from Pro-War Rhetoric

“Do not make pro-war statements.” On behalf of the Hungarian government, Foreign Affairs and Trade Minister Peter Szijjarto issued a sharp warning to NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte. According to Szijjarto, the speech Rutte delivered in Kyiv runs directly counter to NATO’s existing decisions.

Speaking for the Hungarian government, Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto stressed that Hungary formally calls on the NATO Secretary General to refrain from issuing statements that promote war.

Hungary's FM Peter Szijjarto called on Mark Rutte to adhere to NATO decisions (Photo: AFP)

“When the war began, NATO made two important decisions,” the foreign minister recalled. “First, that NATO is not a party to this conflict. Second, that everything must be done to ensure it does not become one in the future.” In Szijjarto’s view, the NATO secretary general should strictly adhere to those decisions.

I believe it would be appropriate if the NATO Secretary General complied with NATO’s own decisions. The remarks made by the Mark Rutte in Kyiv are contrary to NATO’s decisions currently in force,

he pointed out.

This is outrageous and scandalous. That is why we call on the NATO secretary general not to make pro-war statements and to bind himself to the decisions adopted by NATO’s highest decision-making body, the North Atlantic Council,

he said.

The foreign minister concluded by urging restraint and de-escalation.

“We ask Mark Rutte to respect NATO’s previous decisions. He should not represent a pro-war position and should not further escalate tensions. In my view, the most important thing is to support U.S. peace efforts, because this is the only hope for achieving peace in Ukraine as soon as possible,” Szijjarto stressed.

Cover photo: Peter Szijjarto, Hungary's Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade (Photo: NurPhoto via AFP)