Hungary accuses NATO chief of undermining Ukraine peace talks

NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte is stoking tensions and effectively undermining peace negotiations on Ukraine, Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó stated.

On his Facebook page, Szijjártó criticised Rutte’s recent speech in Berlin, saying it confirmed doubts about Brussels’ judgment, Caliber.Az reports.

“If anyone still had doubts about whether everyone in Brussels had completely lost their mind, they could be fully convinced after the NATO Secretary General's speech in Berlin yesterday. Mark Rutte said that ‘we’ are the next target of Russia, which could be ready to attack NATO within five years, and that Ukraine’s security is our security,” he wrote.

According to the Hungarian minister, such statements are openly provocative and demonstrate that all forces in Brussels are opposed to Donald Trump’s peace initiatives.

“With this statement, the NATO Secretary General has effectively betrayed the peace talks,” he noted.

Szijjártó emphasised that Hungary, as a NATO member, does not agree with such statements, noting that European security is the responsibility of the alliance itself and that Ukraine is fighting for its own defence, not for NATO countries. He urged Rutte to stop inflaming military tensions and avoid “dangerous and irresponsible” provocations.

In his Berlin keynote, NATO Secretary‑General Mark Rutte warned that Russia currently poses a direct threat to NATO members and stressed that “we are Russia’s next target,” urging allies to urgently boost defence spending and capabilities to deter Moscow.

Rutte cautioned that Russia could be ready to use military force against NATO within the next five years if the alliance does not strengthen its deterrence and defence posture.

He described the security situation as severe and called for a rapid increase in defence production and readiness, framing Ukraine’s security as inherently tied to the security of NATO and Europe.

By Jeyhun Aghazada