Hungary’s PM Orban: „dangerous NATO proposals are on the table” regarding Ukraine / „Hungary’s position is clear: we do not want to send soldiers or weapons beyond NATO territory”

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has said that ‘dangerous proposals’ are ‘on the NATO table’ regarding the response to the war in Ukraine, reports MTI, quoted by Agerpres.

‘Dangerous proposals are on the NATO table,’ Orban said after a discussion with EU Council President Charles Michel on Monday, adding that some member states had again floated the idea of imposing a no-fly zone over Ukraine.

‘Last week was not easy, but this week will be even more difficult,’ Orban added, referring to the NATO and EU summits.

‘NATO is a defense alliance. We are able to protect each other – in fact, it is our duty to do so – but it is not NATO’s mission to engage in a military operation outside its territory,’ the Hungarian prime minister stressed.

‘Hungary’s position is clear: we do not want to send soldiers or weapons beyond NATO territory,’ he added.

On energy supplies from Russia, Orban said the issue ‘was resolved ten days ago – at least for a period of ten days -‘ when Hungary made it clear that it did not want sanctions against Russia to be extended to oil and gas imports as this would mean ‘a disproportionate and almost unbearable burden on Hungary and other EU countries.

‘It would affect us more than it would affect Russia, the target of the sanctions,’ Viktor Orban explained, saying Hungary would certainly join other countries in opposing sanctions against Russian energy imports.

The MTI news agency also reports, citing a statement from the Defense Ministry in Budapest, that Hungarian Gripen fighter jets were scrambled on Monday afternoon after an unidentified aircraft entered the airspace approaching from Ukraine.

NATO’s Joint Air Operations Command has ordered the scrambling of jets after an aircraft appeared on radar in the east of the country heading towards Slovakia.

Gripen aircraft patrolled the area and secured the airspace in question, then returned to the base at Kecskemet, the Defense Ministry said.

This was the third time Hungarian fighter jets have gone on alert since last Saturday, MTI said.