The Hungarian Defense Minister Romulusz Ruszin-Szendi stated that the new government aims to restore trust among NATO allies and enhance the country’s defense against Russian influence following strained relations with partners under the previous administration.
This was reported by Telex, citing the minister’s speech at the Budapest Energy and Security Talks conference, organized by the Balance Institute. According to Ruszin-Szendi, the new defense policy will take into account the interests of both Hungary and its allies. He emphasized that Budapest’s interests align with those of the Alliance and that restoring trust in the country is essential.
Restoring the Trust of Allies
Ruszin-Szendi noted that one of the first steps of the new government was to apologize to certain allies, including Finland, whose accession to NATO was repeatedly delayed by the previous Hungarian government. He described such a policy as unacceptable.
The minister also stated that Russian intelligence services “tried to penetrate through the back door,” but now “we are closing the door to the Russians.” He added that the government is focusing not only on the Russian-Ukrainian war but also on the security situation in the Middle East. According to him, wars end when governments, armies, and societies strive for peace.
Defense Spending and Army Modernization
Separately, Ruszin-Szendi commented on NATO countries’ commitment to increase defense spending to 5% of GDP. He stated that Hungary plans to reach this target by 2035, but currently, the priority remains funding for education and healthcare due to the challenging economic situation.
The minister also reported that the modernization of the Hungarian army, which began in 2017, is ongoing. He mentioned that the country is negotiating with several European defense companies to establish production facilities in Hungary and develop its own defense industry.
It was previously reported that the Hungarian government submitted a bill to parliament proposing large-scale constitutional reform, which includes changes to the public administration system. One provision of the document is the early termination of the powers of the current president, Tamás Sulyok.
Source: Telex
