Hungary will not be part of a NATO plan to help Ukraine, according to a deal reached on Wednesday. But Budapest will also not block the alliance's efforts to support Kyiv.
The Hungarian decision paves the way for the other NATO countries to approve a plan under which the alliance would take over from the U.S. in coordinating security assistance to Ukraine.
Speaking in Budapest, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said: "I'm glad that today the prime minister [Viktor Orbán] and I have agreed on modalities for Hungary's non-participation in NATO support for Ukraine."
Orbán — the European leader most aligned with Russian President Vladimir Putin — has long been opposed to further aid packages for Ukraine, employing a similar tactic in the European Union.Under the deal with Stoltenberg, no Hungarian personnel will take part in NATO's plan to provide Ukraine with security assistance and training.
Hungarian funds will also not be used."At the same time, the prime minister has assured me that Hungary will not oppose these efforts, enabling other allies to move forward," Stoltenberg said, speaking alongside Orbán. "
And he has confirmed that Hungary will continue to meet all of its NATO commitments in full."
