Péter Szijjártó, Hungary’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, stated that European leaders had “missed a great opportunity” to revise their “failed” Ukraine strategy and should have intensified peace efforts given the current risk of escalation.
Speaking at a National Consultation campaign event in Pécs on Monday evening, Szijjártó noted that Donald Trump’s victory in the US presidential election had brought the prospect of a peaceful resolution to the war closer. However, he also highlighted that the danger of escalation had increased due to policies of the outgoing Washington administration that ignored the will of the people.
Szijjártó argued that European leaders could have used the US developments as an excuse to amend their strategy on Ukraine, which he claimed was not only ineffective but also weakening the continent.
He emphasized that his recent visit to Moscow was focused on supporting peace efforts and securing Hungary’s energy security, as US sanctions against Gazprombank had complicated the situation for countries dependent on Russian energy resources.
He also criticized the “hypocrisy of certain colleagues” who “regularly voiced their support” ahead of EU foreign council meetings but failed to back him during debates.
Szijjártó praised Hungary’s policy of economic neutrality, which allowed the country to maintain trade relations with both Eastern and Western partners, despite ongoing efforts to decouple European and Chinese economies.
