Hungarian FM discussed ‘urgency’ of ending Ukraine war in meeting with US Secretary of State

Hungary's Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto on Tuesday met with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio to discuss what the US State Department called the "urgency of ending the war in Ukraine."

According to a statement from the US State Department, "The Secretary underlined the urgency of ending the war in Ukraine and ensuring lasting peace and stability in the region."

The meeting came amid uncertainty about US-Ukraine relations after things took a turn for the worse following last week's standoff meeting between Donald Trump and Ukraine's president, Voldomyr Zelenskyy, at the Oval Office.

Hungary, unlike the majority of European countries, has been a staunch critic of EU efforts to defend Ukraine against Russia's invasion. Prime minister, Viktor Orban, has frequently criticised, and threatened to veto EU sanctions against Russia over its aggression but has ultimately always voted for them.

However, Szijarjarto's meeting with Rubio on Tuesday came as the Hungarian government threatened to oppose an EU bloc-wide accord or joint statement on Ukraine ahead of Thursday's extraordinary summit dedicated to Ukraine and EU defence.

On Sunday, European leaders—the UK and France—at a summit in London floated the idea of a "coalition of the willing" among member states that could send troops on the ground to Ukraine as a guarantee after a potential peace deal.

Leaders of the UK, Canada, France, and other EU countries present at the summit also agreed to keep military aid flowing into Ukraine and to ensure any peace talks and agreements respect the country's sovereignty.

Reacting to the summit, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán slammed the idea and berated the leaders, saying they wanted "to continue with the war instead of opting for peace."

Since Russia began its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, EU member states have significantly increased their defence budgets.

In a Rearm Europe Plan, EU Commission president Ursula von der Leyen said on Tuesday that member states might raise as much as €800 billion to fund a significant defence increase.