Hungary’s approach to the war in Ukraine had been consistent for three years, Minister Szijjártó said.
Péter Szijjártó, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, said Hungary’s government “was Trump before [US President] Donald Trump” in that it has been rejecting migration, gender propaganda and the war in Ukraine for a long time, and has suffered attacks in Europe as a result.
Minister Szijjártó told a panel discussion at the Raisina Dialogue 2025 international forum in New Delhi on Tuesday that the government’s “consistent and long-term” approach to those issues had resulted in political and financial attacks.
“We are more popular outside Europe than inside it,” he said, according to a ministry statement. “The liberal mainstream can’t stomach that we are successfully implementing a conservative, patriotic and right-wing strategy.”
Hungary’s approach to the war in Ukraine had been consistent for three years, Minister Szijjártó said, noting that he had talked to the warring parties immediately after the start of the invasion to offer Budapest as a venue for peace talks. “I maintain hope that they will take up that offer and hold peace talks,” he said.
Hungary is the only NATO member state not to have shipped arms to the war, instead launching “the largest humanitarian action in its history”. Meanwhile, Hungary has become Ukraine’s primary source of electricity and, since February, natural gas, he said.
He lamented that despite those efforts, the government “has been under financial and political attacks” for urging a ceasefire and peace talks.
“I’m glad to see the concept of a ceasefire now emerging in a positive context. I hope it will come about,” he added.
“Had those attacking us back then supported a ceasefire, far fewer people would have died less destruction would have been wrought, and less of Ukraine’s territory would be under occupation,” he said.
Minister Szijjártó welcomed US-Russia talks and said that an agreement between those two countries was key to putting an end to the war. “We have high hopes about that meeting… We want peace to return to central Europe,” he said.
He said he hoped that, with the election of Trump, peace would return “within a few weeks”. He said he also hoped that “common sense, rationality, normality and mutual respect will return to international politics in place of hypocrisy, judgement and lecturing because it would make building a more peaceful future possible.”
