BUDAPEST, February 11. /TASS/. The European Union is undermining international efforts to resolve the conflict in Ukraine by supplying weapons and providing financial support to Kiev, Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Peter Szijjarto told reporters after talks with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi in Budapest.

"I told the minister that, unfortunately, Europeans continue to undermine efforts to establish peace," Szijjarto said. According to him, this is evidenced by the formation of a coalition between Kiev and Brussels aimed at supplying weapons and money from the EU to Ukraine and accelerating its admission to the union.

"The sovereign government of Hungary, focused on protecting national interests, is opposed to this. Hungarians stand for peace. The continuation of the war and Ukraine’s membership in the EU run completely counter to our interests," the foreign minister stressed.

Meanwhile, he noted that Hungary highly appreciates China’s peacekeeping efforts aimed at ending the Ukrainian conflict. "We are grateful to the Chinese government for its support for peace in Ukraine," Szijjarto said.

He also confirmed Hungary’s interest in developing a strategic partnership with China, including expanding economic cooperation. For the third year in a row, China has been the main source of foreign investment in Hungary, which remains "a priority destination for [investments] by Chinese companies," the minister said.

To confirm this, he announced that a new high-speed railway line between Budapest and Belgrade, built with China’s participation, will begin operating soon. According to him, freight transport will start on February 27, and passenger traffic on March 14. In addition, the parties agreed to increase the number of flights between Budapest and Chinese cities.