Hungary will not allow the transit of lethal weapons to Ukraine through its territory, Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó said on Monday.

The Hungarian government, which has enjoyed a close relationship with the Kremlin over the past decade, has condemned the Russian invasion of Ukraine and agreed to European sanctions. He also approved the activation of the European Peace Facility, an instrument that allows the EU to finance the purchase and delivery of arms.

But Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán – who faces tough general elections on April 3 – has insisted in recent days that his country must “stay out” of the conflict and that Hungary itself will not provide arms to his neighbour.

On Monday, Szijjártó explained the decision to go further and not allow arms shipments to pass through Hungarian territory for national security reasons.

“This decision is necessary to ensure the safety of Hungary and the Hungarian community in Transcarpathia,” the minister said, referring to a region in western Ukraine that is home to Hungarian-speaking communities.

“The reason for this decision is that these deliveries could become the target of hostile military action,” he added.

Hungary will nevertheless provide humanitarian aid – including food and water – to western Ukraine, the minister noted.

Szijjártó’s announcement that Hungary would not allow arms to transit through Hungary sparked dismay among security experts.

“In the event of the war escalating to the level of Russia attacking NATO countries, Hungary has an obligation to join NATO forces and expose itself to Russian attacks anyway,” he said. said a former Hungarian official.

“No European country can remain silent in the face of this war when the future of the European security architecture hangs in the balance,” the former official said. “If we let [Russian President Vladimir] Putin achieves his goal, we risk the security of Hungary and Europe far beyond the level we do with this minimal contribution to the fight against this aggression.