Magyar says Ukraine must receive strong security guarantees, unlike Budapest Memorandum

New Hungarian Prime Minister Peter Magyar has stated that Ukraine has the right to defend itself by all available means and must receive strong security guarantees – unlike those provided under the 1994 Budapest Memorandum.

He said this at a joint press conference with Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk in Warsaw on Wednesday, according to an Ukrinform correspondent.

"Ukraine is a victim and has the right to defend itself by all possible means in order to preserve its territorial integrity and sovereignty," Magyar said.

He also called for an urgent pause in the war, stating that there have been more than one million casualties on the Russian side and many losses on the Ukrainian side, including civilians.

"On both sides there are victims. That is why the goal must be a ceasefire and then a lasting peace. And it is the international community that must guarantee this – not like in the case of the Budapest Memorandum, but by truly ensuring compliance with these agreements, making others observe them, and guaranteeing Ukraine's security and territorial integrity," Magyar said.

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He stressed that he has consistently maintained a clear position on the war in Ukraine. He recalled that in the summer of 2024 he was the first MEP to visit Kyiv after Russia struck the Okhmatdyt children's hospital.

"Few of my colleagues came at that time. We traveled by car – I had an almost 30-year-old Ford Transit – and brought humanitarian aid from Hungarians," he said.

Magyar added that the war must end as quickly as possible not only for Ukraine but also due to the presence of the Hungarian minority in Ukraine.

He noted that EU countries support Ukraine in different ways depending on their own decisions and public opinion, and acknowledged differing views on how to achieve peace and whether certain approaches could lead to escalation.

Photo: Peter Magyar / Facebook