Hungarian Conservative

The remarks of a senior Turkish official on 14 January imply that it is unlikely Sweden and Finland would be able to join NATO before June.

Could it be that Orbán is not the enfant terrible of the EU, nor the Trojan horse of Moscow, but one of the few statesmen left in the trans-Atlantic alliance with some common sense and long-term vision?

‘The huge potential of the Hungarian defence industry can unfold at the best possible time, as one of the recurring themes of EU defence ministerial discussions is that stocks are being depleted and there is insufficient capacity for after-market production.’

Despite the tensions with Serbia, in December 2022 Kosovo formally applied to join the EU. But unless relations between Serbia and Kosovo are normalized, accession of either of the countries is unlikely.

According to Van Buren, it is ‘shameful’ that the Biden administration is not forcefully pushing for a diplomatic solution, but is content to bleed out the Russians, as it did in Afghanistan in the 1980s.

Poland’s efforts to turn its growing military power into political influence may be hampered by criticism of its alleged rule of law issues and concerns over its arms purchases from non-NATO countries outside Europe.

Protests, roadblocks, police officers being injured and imprisoned in North Kosovo have again escalated the conflict between Kosovo and Serbia.

Fears of the escalation of the conflict are mounting as Serbia and Kosovo are unable to reach a consensus on the disputed Serbia-issued car number plates.

The Hungarian force development programme essentially aims at acquiring NATO-compatible equipment, increasing troops levels, and building a national defence industry.

Brazil is facing presidential elections on Sunday. The outcome of the clash of the titans, Bolsonaro and Lula, who seem to be complete political opposites, will have a huge impact on the country, yet holds few consequences for the world.

The North Atlantic Treaty forms the legal basis of NATO, but what exactly is the scope of the alliance’s authority?

Regarding the war in Hungary’s neighbourhood, Hungary’s Minister of Defence reiterated that the country’s position has been clear from the beginning: to stay out of the war and pursue Hungary’s national interests.

Hungary’s defence capability has grown significantly, which is essential not only for self-defence and deterrence purposes but also for the country to remain an influential contributor to regional, European and transatlantic security efforts in trying times.

The need to return to national interest, realism, restraint, balance of power, and Westphalian non-intervention is perhaps the most tragic and urgent lesson that must be learned from this war.

Although the Visegrád Four may be facing one of the most severe disruptions of its history, it is too early to discount it as a “collateral victim of the war,” as the cooperation’s main virtue has always been its ability to overcome momentary political disputes.

It is our position that the Russian troops must be withdrawn from the occupied territories. Ukraine’s sovereignty, territorial integrity, and the human and minority rights within its borders must be restored.

The Swedish and the Finnish people should be given the opportunity to have a say in as to whether their countries should join a US-led military alliance and give up centuries of neutrality.  

To sum up, there are the so-called ideological ‘leftists’ who are in power in much of Europe, including Berlin and Paris, and there are the pragmatic ‘rightists who are in power in the Visegrád Group countries, especially in Budapest and Warsaw, but, for the time being, they are in opposition to most of Europe.

I think Prime Minister Orbán has actually done a very reasonable job of keeping those lines open and saying, “look, you know, we’re not interested in conflating the issue of energy with some of these broader strategic issues.”

The petrodollar system, as can be seen, is the backbone of US hegemony in the world. And whenever a world leader has seriously challenged the system, the US and its NATO allies have been swift to respond to ensure US global dominance continues.

If NATO has already been militarily involved in non-member countries at the behest of Washington, why is it reluctant to assist Ukraine with anything but with arms provisions? 

The worst-case scenario is nuclear strikes by nuclear world powers, with consequences beyond our imagination. Now is the time to stop. To take two steps back. To understand what this war is about. To decide on what we want.

While on the surface Putin’s responsibility for the crisis is apparent, the reality is that Putin was provoked by the West to invade Ukraine.

As the debate unfolds, the divides between the followers of pro-Eastern Pan-Slavism and the supporters of Western orientation are becoming deeper and deeper.

Until 2024, Hungary will maintain $500,000 a year in support of the Afghan National Security and Defense Forces, contributing to Afghanistan’s internal stability.