The preparations by NATO to conduct a military operation in Ukraine contradict the alliance’s core values. This statement was made by Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban in an article published on 5 July in the US magazine Newsweek in connection with the alliance’s summit in Washington scheduled for 9-11 July.
“NATO is approaching a turning point. It is worth remembering that the most successful military alliance in world history began as a peace project, and its future success depends on its ability to keep the peace. But today the agenda is not peace but war, and instead of defence, it is offensive. All this contradicts the fundamental values of NATO,” the Prime Minister said.
Orban also drew attention to the fact that Hungary originally joined the alliance to ensure peace and defence for its state. The Hungarian government wanted to deal with the welfare and prosperity of its citizens and that is why it joined NATO, which could relieve Hungary of worries about the country’s defence, the prime minister said.
“The great historian Arnold Toynbee argued that “civilisations die by suicide, not by murder”. We, as the strongest military alliance the world has ever known, should fear not defeat from any external enemy. An external enemy, if he has a shred of common sense, would not dare to attack any NATO member country. But we should be very wary of our own rejection of the values on which our alliance is based. The purpose for which NATO was founded was to ensure peace in the interests of stable economic, political and cultural development. NATO achieves its purpose when it seeks peace, not war. If it chooses conflict over co-operation and war over peace, it will commit suicide,” Orban added.
Earlier in the day, it was reported that the US plans to announce new measures to strengthen the air defence of the Ukrainian Armed Forces at the NATO summit. In addition, as the White House spokesman specified, the summit will talk about “long-term efforts” that could become a “bridge to membership” of Ukraine in the alliance.
Also, North Atlantic Alliance Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said that the main topic of the upcoming NATO summit in Washington would be arms supplies and training of Ukraine’s military. He expressed hope that the allies would agree on a substantial support package for the country.
On 9 June, it was reported that NATO wanted to introduce the post of special envoy for Ukraine. It is noted that the envoy’s tasks will include coordination of the alliance’s support for Ukraine and distribution of military aid flows to Kiev from various Western countries.
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