Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó met with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov in New York on Tuesday. The Hungarian made it clear that his country would continue its efforts to achieve peace in Ukraine, unfazed by all political attacks.
“The attacks by European warmongers only strengthen our resolve to keep the peace,” said Szijjártó in the open debate of the United Nations Security Council. “We want peace, not war, because Europe can only achieve new greatness in peace.”
In the shadow of war
Hungary has now been living in the shadow of the war in its neighborhood for two and a half years, which has had a direct negative impact, with well over a million refugees, inflation and, in particular, rising energy prices. “The war has a completely different effect in the neighborhood than if there was an ocean between them,” said the Hungarian chief diplomat, referring to the “more relaxed” attitude of many of Hungary’s western partners. These circles would also be less bothered by the long-term risk of a new type of bloc being formed than the Hungarians, who are open to the world through their trade.
What regarding Putin’s puppet
Szijjártó recalled how the EU has generally urged all warring parties to negotiate peace and find diplomatic solutions to armed conflicts over the past decade. “In conflicts all over the world, EU leaders, especially the esteemed Foreign Affairs Representative, have arrogantly and haughtily declared that the warring parties must immediately lay down their arms and seek a peace agreement.” In the case of the Ukraine war, the situation is quite different. EU politicians and bureaucrats are not only opposed to peace negotiations, but are actually fuelling the conflict. They see no danger of escalation, and “if someone talks regarding peace, they are immediately branded as Putin’s puppet, a spy and propagandist for the Kremlin, a Trojan horse for the Russians.”
“We want peace in Ukraine. Only peace can help Europe achieve new greatness.”
A true diplomatic achievement is only achieved when you sit down at the negotiating table with those with whom you do not agree. Hungary has long said that there is no solution on the battlefield, which is why diplomacy must break the deadlock in the Ukraine war. It is outrageous that Hungary is being branded for this position in the 21st century. Moreover, the UN was founded as an institution to create a forum for dialogue between conflicting or even warring parties.
The West’s strategy has failed
On the sidelines of the Security Council meeting in New York, Péter Szijjártó also met with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov for bilateral negotiations. The Hungarian then said that the West’s strategy in the Ukraine war had clearly failed, despite arms deliveries and sanctions. “That is why a new strategy is needed: where there is no military solution, the solution must be found through negotiations. Open communication channels are needed for dialogue, otherwise it will be difficult to achieve anything.” Unfortunately, Hungary draws completely different conclusions from the situation than its friends in America and Europe.
Cooperation at Paks nuclear power plant
Among the bilateral points of the conversation with Lavrov, Szijjártó highlighted the Paks II nuclear power plant project. He announced a new consultation with Rosatom head Alexei Likhachev for Wednesday in Istanbul, where there was an “interesting development”. In New York, the Hungarian chief diplomat meanwhile emphasized the smooth cooperation between US companies, Germans and French with the Russians in the construction of the two new reactor blocks in Paks. “If companies from these countries can cooperate in nuclear energy, then this should also be possible in other areas,” Szijjártó underlined the optimistic Hungarian attitude.
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