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Kiev claims EU neighbor has changed course on weapons supplies — Analysis

According to Ukrainian officials, Hungary has no objections to the flow of military aid through its territory.

According to Ukrainian media, Hungary won’t block foreign weapons or other military aid from entering its territory. The western Ukrainian city was visited by Hungary’s Deputy Foreign Minister Magyar Levente, who reportedly communicated the change in Budapest’s official position to the local mayor.

Hungary will not ship weapons to Ukraine but it can help. “third countries can use our territory,” Levente was quoted as saying by the Lviv authorities. The report also stated that Budapest would open its hospitals to both military and civilian Ukrainian personnel, as well providing 1,000 scholarships to Ukrainians studying at Hungarian universities.

Peter Szijarto, the Hungarian Foreign Minister, stated earlier this month that weapons would not be allowed to cross its borders. This would put at risk humanitarian aid delivery and safety for ethnic Hungarians on the other side.

“We don’t want [Russians] to shoot at the areas where Hungarians live, that’s why we would not like to get involved in this conflict,”CNN interviewed Szijarto on July 5.

Hungary has ‘military plans’ for Ukraine – minister

The foreign minister arrived in New York Tuesday and will attend a session at the UN Security Council. He hasn’t posted any information about this policy shift on his Facebook page which is used to communicate with the general public. On Monday, his most recent posting about the Ukraine situation criticized the EU’s focus on sanctions rather than trying to reach peace.

Zoltan Kovics, a spokesperson for Viktor Orban the Hungarian Prime Minster, is yet to comment on allowing weapons transfer through Hungarian territory.

The Lviv city council reported that Levente said to Mayor Andrey Sadovoy, “Hungary sympathizes with Ukraine since it was at war.” “to the death” with Russia three times over the past 200 years – presumably a reference to both world wars as well as the 1848 revolt against the Habsburg crown, which Russia helped quash as part of the Holy Alliance commitment to Austria. 

Budapest has been repeatedly criticised by Kiev for not supporting Ukraine’s cause. Meanwhile, Orban has argued that EU sanctions against Russia were destroying the bloc’s own economy rather than hurting Moscow, while the speaker of the Hungarian parliament claimed Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky had a “mental problem”Because he threatened the nations whose assistance he required.

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