Moscow run Sputnik confirms Hungary's resistance to support Ukraine with weapons, troops

As Russia continues its full-scale offensive in Ukraine amid heavy sanctions and global condemnation, Kremlin-run Sputnik on Wednesday reported that Hungary, which is a European Union ally, will restrain from supporting Kyiv with arms and will also not deploy troops to fight Moscow. 

The development holds significance as the European Union on the other hand has vociferously pledged support to war-struck Ukraine and has extended a continuous supply of arms, weapons and financial aid for the war-struck nation. This development comes after Hungary’s Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto two days ago announced that Hungary will abstain from sending warfare, weapons or soldiers to its eastern neighbour Ukraine and added that they will not allow lethal weapons to transit its territory to keep it safe.

Hungary's decade long ties with Moscow

Hungary is known for maintaining close-knit diplomatic ties with Moscow. Its right-wing nationalist Prime Minister, Viktor Orban, has for more than a decade-long nurtured close political and economic ties with Russia. He is recognised as Kremlin's closest European Union ally.

Even earlier, Orban, for weeks, avoided criticising the buildup by Russia on the Ukrainian border as Russian President Vladimir Putin positioned tens of thousands of troops at the frontiers of Ukraine and spoke firmly against sanctions. It is pertinent to note that as tensions rose, Orban even travelled to Moscow, where he met with Putin in the Kremlin for the 12th time in as many years and campaigned for increased Russian gas imports.

When Russia's large-scale invasion commenced last week, Orban, for the first time, blamed Moscow for the tensions and violence, potentially signalling a shift in his pro-Russia stance of more than a decade.

“Russia attacked Ukraine this morning with military force,” Orban said hours after the invasion began on Feb 24. “Together with our European Union and NATO allies, we condemn Russia’s military action,” he had said. However, Orban failed to criticise Putin  or to term the "military action" an invasion.

Ukraine continues to fight Russian offensive on Day 7

The development comes as, on the Seventh-day of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the RIA agency reported that the Russian Armed Forces have gained full control of the southern city of Kherson in Ukraine. In a photo currently doing the rounds on social media, a huge convoy of Russian troops can be seen in Kherson city, located just above Crimea. The 64-kilometre convoy of hundreds of Russian tanks and other vehicles were also seen on a road to Kyiv, a city with almost 3 million people. The West feared that it was Kremlin's bid to topple the government and install a Kremlin-friendly regime.

With AP Inputs

Image: AP