Viktor Orbán Pledges 5% of GDP on Defense Ahead of NATO Summit

Viktor Orbán and Geert Wilders at the NATO Summit

“War in the east (Ukraine-Russia conflict) and war in the south (Middle East conflict). Now we truly feel how valuable peace and security are. We will preserve them!” Prime Minister Viktor Orbán stated in a video posted on Facebook on Tuesday afternoon, on his way to The Hague for the NATO Summit.

The Summit focuses on European security and the development of NATO’s defense capabilities. Ahead of the Summit, the Prime Minister said that every war poses a risk. In the modern world, wars thousands of kilometers away still impact our lives, especially through energy prices, as they drive up the cost of oil, gas, and electricity, threatening price stability in Hungary

Since migration swept across Western Europe, from which Hungary has largely avoided, there has been a constant threat of terrorism in Europe. If something happens in the Middle East, the threat of terrorism immediately increases everywhere in Europe,”

Viktor Orbán added.

“Although we are a migrant-free zone, such threats, terrorist threats, exist in our neighborhood. We cannot assume the risk is zero. In such cases, extraordinary security measures must be taken, which I did yesterday, and today you can see the impact of this on the streets of Budapest, at airports and at busy transport hubs, where enhanced counter-terrorism measures are in place,” the Prime Minister explained.

Prime Minister Viktor Orbán held bilateral talks with Geert Wilders, leader of the Party for Freedom (PVV), on the sidelines of the NATO Summit in The Hague, MTI reported.

During the talks, the parties discussed current European Union issues. The PVV, together with Fidesz, is a member of the Patriots for Europe party family.

In The Hague today with @geertwilderspvv ahead of the @NATO summit, united in our commitment to peace, sovereignty, and secure borders. pic.twitter.com/aY3NDaN2df

— Orbán Viktor (@PM_ViktorOrban) June 24, 2025

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who only attended the NATO Summit’s State dinner, posted on X that he considered it unfair that Hungary does not support Ukraine’s accession to the European Union. Viktor Orbán responded with the following message:

Mr. President, with all due respect, the European Union was created to bring peace and prosperity to its member states.”

Admitting a country that is at war with Russia into the EU would immediately plunge the Union into a direct conflict. It is unfair to expect any member state to take this risk,” the Prime Minister wrote on X.

President, with all due respect: the European Union was founded to bring peace and prosperity to its member states. Accepting a country that is at war with Russia would immediately drag the EU into a direct conflict. It is unfair to expect any member state to take this risk.

— Orbán Viktor (@PM_ViktorOrban) June 24, 2025

However, much attention is on US President Donald Trump – the most important topic of the Summit is provided by the US president, who wants to raise the annual defense spending of member states to five percent of GDP. Just before the start of the meeting, Donald Trump announced a ceasefire in the Israel-Iran conflict.

‘It was a great pleasure to receive you this evening at Huis Ten Bosch Palace. I wish you wisdom in your deliberations tomorrow and I have every confidence that they will result in a NATO that is stronger than ever.’ – King Willem-Alexander pic.twitter.com/ff6AeWdyZ7

— Koninklijk Huis (@koninklijkhuis) June 24, 2025

This article continues to be updated.

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