Hungary banned lethal weapons from passing through the country on its way to Ukraine, Hungarian officials announced Monday.
Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said the reason for the ban was to avoid Hungary getting dragged into the war.
“The reason for making this decision is that such deliveries might become targets of hostile military action, and … we have to ensure the security of Hungary … that we are not getting involved in that war,” Szijjarto said, according to Reuters.
Hungary has condemned Russia’s attack on Ukraine and given temporary housing and protection to the nearly 80,000 Ukrainian refugees crossing its border. It has also said that although the country will not be dragged into the war, it will support all sanctions against Russia.
Hungary’s announcement comes as Belarus is reportedly preparing to join Russia in its attack on Ukraine. Ukraine is not a member of NATO, meaning the help from Belarus will not trigger attacks from NATO forces, including the United States.
Russia and Ukraine agreed to talk Monday as the war stretched into its fifth day. However, Russia said Ukraine must “demilitarize and de-Nazify,” while Ukraine will demand a ceasefire and the withdrawal of Russian forces. According to the United Nations, 500,000 Ukrainians have fled the country since the start of the war, with 281,000 crossing into Poland.
