Hungarian Foreign Minister says Russia’s 2021 security proposals to end Hungary’s NATO membership acceptable? Ria Novosti interview and denial – VIDEO

Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó’s comments to the Russian state media have caused a significant stir. According to RIA Novosti, a Russian state news agency with close ties to the Hungarian government, Szijjártó suggested that Russia’s 2021 security proposals should have been negotiated by NATO, implying that Hungary’s NATO membership could have been reconsidered.

Máté Paczolay, spokesperson for the Hungarian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, responded in an interview with Telex, following the report by RIA Novosti.

Paczolay firmly rejected this interpretation, clarifying the foreign minister’s remarks. His response came after Telex enquired about the RIA Novosti article, which quoted Szijjártó as stating that NATO should have engaged with Russia’s proposed security guarantees before the conflict escalated. Although Paczolay did not explicitly mention RIA Novosti, it was clear he was referring to the Russian outlet.

The controversy stems from an interview Szijjártó gave to the Russian news agency. In the interview, he stated that war might have been avoided if NATO had engaged with Russia’s draft 2021 agreement on security guarantees before the situation deteriorated. He commented:

“I remember those days well. Unfortunately, it didn’t happen. Nearly three years have passed since then, and perhaps it’s no longer relevant, but I do wish those discussions had taken place. If they had, maybe we wouldn’t be in this situation now.”

At that time, Russian President Vladimir Putin had proposed a deal to the United States, which included NATO rolling back its infrastructure to pre-1997 levels and ensuring Ukraine would never join the alliance. In return, Putin claimed he would refrain from invading Ukraine. If accepted, this proposal would have meant that Hungary, which joined NATO in 1999, would not have hosted NATO forces or weapons.

In his interview, Szijjártó expressed regret that NATO did not engage with Putin’s demands, which many viewed as unreasonable and unrealistic. Had they been accepted, it would have left Hungary more vulnerable.

However, Paczolay clarified that Szijjártó’s remarks were not specifically about Russia’s 2021 security guarantees. Instead, he was referring to the pre-war period, suggesting that “real dialogue and genuine negotiations between the parties could have created an opportunity to avoid war.” Paczolay also stressed that Russia’s 2021 proposals are irrelevant in the current context.

Márton Tompos, an opposition politician from the Momentum party, strongly criticised the foreign minister’s remarks, writing:

The Hungarian foreign minister is a Russian agent. The Hungarian Foreign Ministry serves Russian interests. Hungarian NATO membership is in danger. There is nowhere to retreat. If you vote for Fidesz, you vote for Putin. Péter Szijjártó, get out of public life!

This incident marks the second time in recent weeks that the Hungarian government has faced backlash over its perceived closeness to Russia. Viktor Orbán’s strategist, Balázs Orbán, recently caused controversy by suggesting that President Zelensky should not have defended Ukraine so fiercely during the Russian invasion, claiming that the Hungarian government would not have acted similarly.

Details here: Official of Orbán cabinet says they would NOT have defended Hungary in case of a Russian invasion – UPDATED with PM Orbán’s reaction

As we wrote earlier today, the Hungarian Foreign Minister sent a strong message to America via the Russian state press, condemning Kamala Harris for calling Orbán an autocratic dictator. Read details HERE.