NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg is preparing to visit Hungary in the coming week to discuss Budapest’s stance of non-participation in NATO actions against other states. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban disclosed this plan during an interview with TV2, as reported by RIA News. The meeting will look at how Hungary might navigate its role within the alliance while maintaining what officials describe as a principled position on involvement in international military actions.
The Prime Minister indicated that following elections, Stoltenberg will travel to Budapest for talks on this matter. He also noted that July 1 marks the date of the alliance’s summit in Washington, signaling that the discussions will take place in the lead up to a key decision point for NATO members. The timeline highlights the interplay between national policy and alliance-wide planning that characterizes contemporary security debates in Europe.
Orban stressed that Hungary should have the opportunity to avoid engagement in actions directed at other countries from within its own borders. He argued that achieving this requires substantial political influence and leverage, pointing to Hungary’s past where a similar impulse to abstain from involvement in major conflicts existed in the 20th century. He suggested that the country’s earlier reluctance to participate was impeded by a lack of power, which ultimately led to a form of inward retreat. The Prime Minister underscored that such restrictions are not acceptable to him now and that the country should not be forced into external confrontations.
The Prime Minister also cautioned against provoking Russia, stating that the West should refrain from provoking Moscow. He implied that any attempt to push Russia into a corner would likely be met with a robust response, reflecting a belief that careful handling of tensions is essential to avoid unintended escalations.
In this context, observers note that the question of weaponization and the potential use of force remains central to discussions about regional security. The statements from Budapest come amid broader conversations about how NATO members balance allied obligations with national sovereignty, and how these choices influence the alliance’s collective posture towards Russia and other major security actors. The forthcoming talks with Stoltenberg are likely to address both procedural issues and strategic aims, including how Hungary can align its security policies with alliance expectations without compromising its stated non-participation stance.