Europaudvalget 2021-22
EUU Alm.del Bilag 376
Offentligt
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Chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee
Hungarian National Assembly
To the Chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee
Budapest, 10
th
March 2022
Dear Colleague,
With its brutal aggression against Ukraine, Russia is turning back the pages of history
and is returning to times which we all hoped we had left behind forever. The war causes
loss of human life, capital, infrastructure, as well as hopes and dreams on a scale that has
been unseen in Europe since the Second World War.
Hungary firmly supports Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, and as a
neighbour, bears special responsibility. Because of this, allow me, Honourable Colleague,
to give a brief summary of the steps Hungary has taken so far to support Ukraine.
As of today, more than 200,000 refugees have crossed the Ukrainian–Hungarian
border. We accept all refugees fleeing the war, regardless of their ethnicity or
nationality, and provide them with shelter and legal assistance. The government has
provided 1.6 million euros to the Hungarian Interchurch Aid to support its
humanitarian work at the border and has prepared the transfer of a further 11.4
million euros to nine charitable organisations in support of their efforts to provide
relief to the refugees.
We have supported and will continue to support all the measures taken by NATO
and the EU, including, for example, the closing off of our airspace from Russian
aircraft and the exclusion of certain Russian banks from the SWIFT system. Likewise,
we supported Russia’s suspension in the Council of Europe.
We support the activation of the European Peace Facility (EPF) which enables the EU
to supply arms to Ukraine and we contribute our due share of more than 5 million
euros. Hungary does not, however, send weapons to Ukraine on a bilateral basis,
neither can we, in order to avoid endangering the security of the border-region, allow
the transfer of lethal weapons through the Hungarian–Ukrainian border.
The Hungarian was the first government to join the eight European Union member
states who had called for Ukraine to be granted candidate status as soon as possible.
1055 BUDAPEST, KOSSUTH LAJOS TÉR 1-3. Tel: (36-1-) 441-4817, Fax: (36-1-) 441-4626, e-mail: [email protected]
 EUU, Alm.del - 2021-22 - Bilag 376: Udtalelser fra en række parlamenter i EU vedr. situationen i Ukraine
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Chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee
Hungarian National Assembly
We urge the institutions of the EU to address this issue as quickly as possible and put
the item on the agenda.
Dear Colleague, I would like to draw your attention to the Hungarian National
Assembly’s declaration
On the Russo–Ukranian War,
attached to this letter, which was
adopted at its 10
th
March plenary session. Should you need any further information
regarding Hungary’s position in this matter, please feel free to contact me directly.
Yours sincerely,
Zsolt Németh
Chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee
1055 BUDAPEST, KOSSUTH LAJOS TÉR 1-3. Tel: (36-1-) 441-4817, Fax: (36-1-) 441-4626, e-mail: [email protected]
 EUU, Alm.del - 2021-22 - Bilag 376: Udtalelser fra en række parlamenter i EU vedr. situationen i Ukraine
POLITICAL DECLARATION 1/2022. (III. 10.)
of the National Assembly of Hungary
on the war between Russia and Ukraine
Despite the international diplomatic efforts of recent months, the Russian military offensive
against Ukrainian territory has resulted in the outbreak of war in Hungary’s immediate
neighbourhood. Attacks from the air, by ground forces and by artillery have already resulted in
thousands of deaths and have sent a wave of refugees fearing for their lives towards the eastern
border regions of the European Union – including our country. Several million people, many
of them Hungarians living in Transcarpathia, have already been forced to flee their homes. This
challenge to the security of the country and the nation must be faced by us in unity. Therefore,
the National Assembly makes the following political declaration.
1. We condemn Russia’s military intervention, and stand by the sovereignty and territorial
integrity of Ukraine.
2. War cannot be the solution to any conflict; in fact it extinguishes, endangers or makes
impossible the lives of very many unarmed people. Therefore, we urge an immediate
cessation of hostilities and the opening of peace negotiations between the parties, while
welcoming all initiatives for mediation offered in a spirit of goodwill.
3. As a member of NATO, Hungary expresses its agreement with the responsible statements
made by the leaders of the Alliance, which stress the need to avoid any spread of the
conflict to the territory of its member states, as this would have unforeseeable
consequences.
4. As a member of the UN, the OSCE, the Council of Europe and the European Union,
Hungary expresses its support for all joint efforts aimed at achieving peace as soon as
possible.
5. Hungary’s fundamental objective is the maintenance of peace and protection of the security
of the people living on its territory. Based on the experience provided by our history, we
declare the following: our country must stay out of this war, and we must not allow anyone
to draw us into it.
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 EUU, Alm.del - 2021-22 - Bilag 376: Udtalelser fra en række parlamenter i EU vedr. situationen i Ukraine
6. We declare that Hungary shall not send troops to the Ukrainian battlefield, it shall not
supply arms on a bilateral basis, and it shall not consent to the direct transport of deadly
weapons across Hungarian-Ukrainian border.
7. We call on all those in public life and representatives of the media to refrain from any ill-
considered or politically motivated statements which, in the current tense situation, could
endanger the security of the country and the security of Hungarians. We consider calls for
Hungarian soldiers or weapons to be sent to the war zone to be particularly dangerous and
irresponsible.
8. Hungary bears responsibility for the fate of Hungarians living outside its borders; all those
in public life have a constitutional duty to behave in accordance with that responsibility.
We consider it not only irresponsible, but also inhuman and contrary to national interests,
so we firmly reject and condemn the inadmissible qualifications that some have valued the
Hungarians of Transcarpathia, endangering their security. No one – motivated by fleeting
political interests – should allow themselves to make Hungarians who are intensely loyal
to their homeland potential victims of the Russian-Ukrainian conflict!
9. The members of Transcarpathia’s indigenous Hungarian community are loyal and faithful
citizens of Ukraine, contributing to its prosperity and diversity. Therefore they share, with
all other citizens of the country, the natural and legitimate expectation that their state will
fully respect their rights. Hungary considers this national community as a bridge that can
connect us to an independent, developing, democratic Ukraine that provides security and
prosperity for all its citizens in their homeland. In line with this, on countless occasions
and in many ways since the recognition of Ukraine’s independence, the Hungarian state
has expressed its desire for the building of neighbourly and friendly relations between our
two countries. Thus in the past we have supported the strengthening of Ukraine’s relations
with the European Union, and – together with other Central European countries – we now
continue to urge the formal start of the accession process.
10. Hungary sees it as its natural duty to provide assistance to all Hungarians and non-
Hungarians of Ukrainian or other citizenship who enter Hungary as the first safe country
while fleeing the war. The National Assembly recognises and encourages the Hungarian
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 EUU, Alm.del - 2021-22 - Bilag 376: Udtalelser fra en række parlamenter i EU vedr. situationen i Ukraine
citizens, communities and institutions who, with an exemplary sense of solidarity, are
seeking to help those in distress. We support the “Bridge for Transcarpathia” initiative in
its work providing immediate assistance to those living under the threat of war in Ukraine
and to those seeking refuge in our country.
We live in an age of peril. After the pandemic and the difficulties it has caused, our country
must now also face the risks created by war. In this extraordinary situation, only by acting in
unity can we preserve the peace of our country and the security of our families.
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