"We are shutting the door on the Russians"-Hungary's Defense Minister says

"Hungary must rebuild trust with its allies, and as for the Russians, we are shutting the door on them," Hungarian Defense Minister Romulusz Ruszin-Szendi said during a panel discussion at the Budapest Energy and Strategy Talks organized by the think tank Egyensúly Intézet (Equilibrium Institute).

When asked what his current defense priority is, Minister Ruszin-Szendi said that vision is the most important thing, but in order for the new government to develop a strategy, “it must consider the interests and values of both the nation and its allies.” Hungary’s interests align with those of its allies, and trust with them must be rebuilt, he stated.

This is precisely why one of the government’s first tasks was to apologize to some of its allies, such as the Finns, whose accession to NATO was delayed by the previous government. He noted that as a military man, he considered the previous administration's attitude unacceptable.

“We’re shutting the door on the Russians,” he added, noting that the Russian intelligence service “tried to come in through the back door.” The government is not only keeping an eye on the Russian-Ukrainian war but also on the conflict in the Middle East. The minister is of the opinion that these conflicts will only end when governments, militaries, and societies all want to put an end to them.

Ruszin-Szendi also spoke about the treaty signed by NATO member states, which stipulates that defense spending must amount to 5 percent of Hungary’s GDP. He said that we will definitely meet the 5 percent requirement by 2035, but for now, there are other priorities. “Believe me, I could spend a lot of money on the military, but there is obviously a time and place for that,” he said. In the current economic situation—inherited from the previous administration—education and healthcare are given priority.

Finally, when speaking about developments relating to defense, Ruszin-Szendi mentioned that the technological upgrades which began in 2017 are still underway. The goal is to rebuild Hungary’s defense capabilities, which have been neglected for the past 35 years. To this end, there are plans for new development agreements with several European defense industry players, with the government encouraging these companies to bring their defense manufacturing facilities to Hungary.