Szijjártó: NATO troop presence in Ukraine would mean crossing red lines
The presence of European and American military in Ukraine, the possibility of which was reiterated by French President Emmanuel Macron, would mean crossing red lines, Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and External Economic Relations Péter Szijjártó said.
“If European or American soldiers are in Ukraine, it will mean that we have crossed the red line drawn by NATO. We have decided that we must do everything to avoid a direct confrontation between NATO and Russia. If a NATO member country sends troops to Ukraine, it will mean a direct conflict with Russia, and that means World War III,” Szijjártó said on French TV channel LCI.
In this regard, Budapest considers Macron’s words “threatening”, the minister said. He warned that the conflict would escalate if NATO troops were sent and stressed that Hungary, as a country close to Ukraine, was not interested in escalation.
According to the Hungarian foreign minister, “instead of thinking about new arms supplies, sending military personnel or nuclear weapons,” it is necessary to “declare a ceasefire and start peace talks.”
Szijjártó urged European leaders to work towards peace rather than looking for ways to get involved in the conflict.
“Our position is that this is not our war, this is not a European war. Europe has not been attacked. This is a conflict between two countries and its escalation is extremely dangerous,” the politician said.
At the same time, he said, any peace initiatives should be carried out “with the participation of all affected parties.”
Szijjártó also pointed to the necessity of maintaining contacts with the Russian authorities.
“We are convinced that if we cut communication channels with Russia, we will lose the opportunity to achieve peace and we will lose a brighter future for the region. It is clear to us that channels of communication must remain open, and they must be open with those in power in Russia,” he said.
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