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Budapest not supplying arms to Kiev over concerns about Hungarians in Ukraine’s west

According to Peter Szijjarto, Hungary is in favor of ending the Ukrainian conflict, but this must be achieved through discussions and negotiations

Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto Danil Shamkin/NurPhoto via Reuters Connect

Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto

© Danil Shamkin/NurPhoto via Reuters Connect

GENEVA, January 18. /TASS/. Budapest is not supplying weapons to Kiev because it is concerned about the safety of ethnic Hungarians in western Ukraine, Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto told the CNBC TV channel on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos.

"We decided not to deliver weapons to Ukraine, just help Ukraine very extensively on the humanitarian side. We are not delivering weapons because we could only do it through the western part of Ukraine where there is a significant Hungarian community. We do not want that community to become a target for any kind of attacks," Budapest’s top diplomat said.

According to Szijjarto, Hungary is in favor of ending the Ukrainian conflict, but this must be achieved through discussions and negotiations.

Russian President Vladimir Putin announced Moscow’s special military operation in Ukraine on February 24, 2022 in response to a request by the heads of the Donbass republics for assistance. The West then slapped sweeping sanctions on Russia and bolstered the supplies of weapons and military equipment to Kiev to the tune of billions of dollars.

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Ukraine crisis Hungary

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