Defence minister: Hungary wants peace, security

Kristof Szalay-Bobrovniczky told a memorial event on Heroes’ Square that many Hungarian heroes had lost their lives because “we had to fight other people’s wars”.

“We are now on the good side of history, we are a free and independent nation, and for the past 12 years, we have been giving priority to national interests,” he said. He added that he had taken his oath to protect the home country and his main task was to preserve Hungary’s defence and security.

He said the Russian-Ukrainian conflict also affected Hungary and “our job is to protect Hungarian families from the war”. “We must not allow Hungary to be dragged into this, it is not our war,” he added.

Hungary’s NATO membership and its armed forces represent the guarantee for Hungarians’ security, he said.