Hungary will not interfere in NATO’s plans against Russia in exchange for excluding itself from operations “outside the alliance”.

Orban guaranteed, “Hungary does not want to prevent NATO decisions that other member states support.” Hungary’s position on how to achieve peace in the Ukraine war differs from other NATO countries, but Budapest maintains that “the weight and number of our views are important and Hungary cannot change this,” said the Hungarian head of government. Orban said, “I asked the secretary general to make it clear that all NATO military actions outside the alliance’s territory can only be voluntary,” and assured that Stoltenberg had given him the necessary guarantees for his desired non-interference.

Stoltenberg acknowledged that, for his part, he accepted the Hungarian Prime Minister’s “clear” decision not to participate in the coalition’s defense of Russia’s war in Ukraine and that the Central European country would not prevent other countries from financially supporting Ukraine. “I hope that our allies will agree to NATO’s leading role in providing and coordinating security and training assistance to Ukraine. I also hope that the allies will agree on a long-term financial commitment to provide military assistance. “This will provide the predictability and accountability that Ukraine needs,” he said, adding he was confident in the success of the plan without Hungary’s participation, “Prime Minister Orban has made it clear that Hungary will not participate in these NATO efforts and I accept this position.”

Orban’s government maintains good relations with Russia and, since the start of the Ukraine war, has tried to obstruct Kiev’s EU accession talks, delaying Western sanctions and blocking offers of financial and military aid. In his fiery pro-Russian speeches, Orban has accused the EU and NATO of fuelling the conflict and insisted that “Ukraine cannot defeat Russia.”

During this visit, Stoltenberg did not manage to change Orban’s mind on the matter, but he did obtain Hungary’s approval in exchange for guarantees that Hungary would not be forced to act outside NATO territory. In this sense, the talks with Stoltenberg were “constructive” and a “right consensus” was reached on the matter.

Donald Trump

The new NATO project for Kiev mainly concerns the international coordination of arms deliveries and training activities for the Ukrainian armed forces. Stoltenberg wants to launch it at the next Alliance summit in Washington in July. Indirectly, the project is intended as a precautionary measure against the possible return of Donald Trump to the presidency of the United States, starting in January 2025.

The Republican’s statements have raised reasonable doubts about whether the United States, under his leadership, will continue to support Ukraine, and NATO fears that the political change in Washington could also affect the coordination of the supply of weapons and the training activities of Ukrainian troops capable of using them, a task that until now has been carried out mainly by the United States. The sensitivities that Stoltenberg’s plan has created affect even Ukraine’s most committed partners.

In late 2022, a unit of about 300 soldiers called Security Assistance Group-Ukraine (SAG-U) was created at the US Armed Forces European headquarters in Wiesbaden, Germany, for which continuity has been sought. The new project is currently referred to within NATO as ‘NATO Security Assistance and Training for Ukraine’ (NSATU) and a majority of NATO states have voted in favour of the new name ‘NATO Ukraine Mission’. However, Germany is trying to challenge this naming on the grounds that it could be misinterpreted, as if the alliance wanted to send troops to Ukraine. The German government fears that Russia could use that name as an excuse to conduct propaganda against NATO.