BUDAPEST, April 14. /TASS/. Budapest opposes the European Union’s initiative to provide 40 billion euros worth of military weapons to Kiev and send so-called military advisors to Ukraine, Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Peter Szijjarto said following a meeting with his EU counterparts in Luxembourg.
He pointed out that during the meeting, representatives discussed new large-scale initiatives to support Ukraine and continue the war in line with "the European Union’s short-sighted and failed policy." "First of all, they want to increase subsidies so that they can provide Ukraine with weapons worth 40 billion euros, included in which would be two million rounds of ammunition," Szijjarto told Hungarian journalists.
However, he stressed that EU countries can not be forced to participate in the initiative because of Hungary’s refusal to back it. The plan required a consensus among all members of the union. "No mandatory payment mechanism was created," the minister specified.
In addition, "they want to send military advisors to Kiev as part of a mission formed earlier to train Ukrainian soldiers." "Hungary did not join the mission, and set a key condition that the mission only be allowed to operate outside of Ukraine," Szijjarto noted, adding that he saw the move to send military advisors to Ukraine as crossing a red line that would make the conflict spill over to Europe.
"There is a serious threat of the war escalating," the top Hungarian diplomat warned.
"We have not and will not support pro-war proposals. We don’t support any proposal from this new broad pro-Ukrainian military package because these proposals are clearly aimed at continuing the war and creating a threat for Europe and Hungary. We will not send a single dollar or piece of weaponry to Ukraine, or a soldier for that matter, even if he is called an advisor," Szijjarto emphasized.