BUDAPEST, February 25. /TASS/. The Hungarian armed forces should reinforce the country's defense not against Russia, but against Ukraine, whose army could invade Hungarian territory during a retreat, according to a letter the Hungarian Circle of Peace non-governmental organization sent to Prime Minister Viktor Orban.
As Endre Simo, head of the NGO, told TASS, the recommendations to the head of government are intended to preserve peace and security in Hungary.
In particular, the organization finds it necessary "to strengthen Hungary's defense against Ukraine, because the Ukrainian armed forces, which are losing, are also making plans to retreat to Eastern European territories, including Hungary, so that they can continue the war against Russia from there."
"We remind you that the Ukrainian side has already made a statement that they would reach Lake Balaton in two hours with their troops," Simo said in the letter to Orban.
According to several media reports, the statement about the march to Balaton was made at one point by the former commander of Ukraine’s Aidar battalion (recognized as a terrorist organization and banned in Russia) Sergey Melnichuk (included in Russia’s list of terrorists and extremists).
After his threats against Hungary, local wits immediately joked that the Ukrainian Armed Forces would definitely not reach Balaton as there are too many distilleries along the way. In a more serious tone, they reminded that Hungary, unlike Ukraine, is a member of NATO. Another recommendation in the Hungarian Circle of Peace’s letter to Orban concerns EU sanctions against Russia.
"The government should no longer vote for sanctions against Russia. It should also not agree to the extension of the sanctions that have already been voted on, but start to reduce sanctions and normalize bilateral relations with Russia. The Hungarian government should do everything in its power to remove Hungary from Russia’s list of unfriendly countries," the letter says.
The NGO also calls on the government to expand support for the most vulnerable groups of the population and strengthen the fight against corruption in order to maintain social harmony in the country. In addition, the Hungarian Peace Circle proposed that the Hungarian leadership needs "to cooperate with all pro-peace social and political forces, including pro-peace opposition circles."
The Hungarian Peace Circle has previously approached Orban with proposals regarding the country's foreign policy. In December last year, the organization sent a letter with recommendations aimed at helping to resolve the conflict in Ukraine and prevent a clash between NATO and Russia. According to Simo, the NGO did not receive an official response, but it is confident that its proposals did not go unnoticed in the prime minister’s office.