/RUSSIA: Foreign Min Szijjártó Rules Out Increased NATO Presence In Hungary

Russian daily newspaper Izvestia runs an exclusive interview with Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó:

• Szijjártó brushes away earlier reports suggesting that the U.S. and UK could deploy troops to Hungary. He insists that Budapest will not host military contingents from other NATO countries, as it is able to defend its territory without foreign help. "There will be nothing that goes beyond the scope of normal, routine cooperation [with other NATO countries]."
  • Note that Szijjártó's comments echo earlier remarks by Defence Minister Tibor Benkő, who pushed back against proposals to relocate additional NATO troops into Hungary, after CNN reported last week that such plans were being discussed.
• The Foreign Minister lauds the initiation of dialogue between the West and Russia on the Ukraine tension. He insists Budapest wants to see "pragmatic and civilised relations between East and West" and laments energy cooperation with Russia becoming "part of the political turmoil."
• Szijjártó accuses Kyiv of curtailing the rights of the Hungarian minority living in Ukraine. He denies that Budapest's demands ultimately serve the interest of Russia and says Hungarians in Ukraine are "oppressed," adding that there has been no progress on that matter on Kyiv's part.
  • Tensions between Budapest and Kyiv have been bubbling for years and escalated at the turn of the year, after President Zelensky proposed a bill prohibiting individuals holding multiple citizenships from taking up roles in public administration. The measure is seen as targeting Russian passport holders in the east of the country, but would also affect the Hungarian minority in Ukraine.
• Szijjártó speaks after Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán held a controversial meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin Tuesday, seeking to secure an increase in gas imports from Russia. Orbán called Russian security demands "reasonable" and cast doubt on the desirability of new sanctions against Moscow, as Putin said that boosting gas supplies by 1bcm/year "would not be a big problem."