ST. PETERSBURG, October 10. /TASS/. Ukraine’s accession to the North Atlantic Alliance under current circumstances will trigger World War III, Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto told reporters on the sidelines of the St. Petersburg International Gas Forum.

"In case Ukraine is accepted as a member of NATO under the current circumstances, it would mean the outbreak of a World War III. We have always argued against a direct confrontation between Russia and NATO to be provoked," Szijjarto said.

At the previous NATO summit in Vilnius in July 2023, Zelensky voiced discontent that member countries were unwilling to nail down the timeline for inviting Ukraine to join NATO. The Western media said that US officials and other leaders of NATO member states were outraged by Zelensky’s harsh remarks. Following the summit, Ukraine was assured that it would join the alliance when it meets the necessary requirements. Brussels did not elaborate on any deadlines for accession. Nevertheless, NATO has repeatedly stressed that Ukraine cannot join the alliance while the country is at war.