STORY: Hungary will not participate in NATO efforts in Ukraine: PM Orban
SHOOTING TIME: June 12, 2024
DATELINE: June 13, 2024
LENGTH: 00:01:09
LOCATION: Budapest
CATEGORY: POLITICS

SHOTLIST:
1. SOUNDBITE 1 (Hungarian): VIKTOR ORBAN, Hungarian Prime Minister
2. SOUNDBITE 2 (English): JENS STOLTENBERG, NATO Secretary General
3. SOUNDBITE 3 (English): JENS STOLTENBERG, NATO Secretary General
4. various of the press conference

STORYLINE:

Hungary will not participate in North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) efforts in Ukraine, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said in Budapest on Wednesday.
   
The Hungarian government has received guarantees that in the case of the Russia-Ukraine armed conflict, Hungary would not have to participate in military actions outside NATO's territory, Orban said during a joint press conference with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg.

SOUNDBITE 1 (Hungarian): VIKTOR ORBAN, Hungarian Prime Minister
"Hungary will neither contribute money, nor send people to this war, nor will Hungarian territory be used for involvement in this war. We received everything needed to address the current issues. This was a difficult but constructive negotiation with the secretary general."
   
Stoltenberg said that both sides reached a consensus where Hungary would refrain from blocking NATO's decisions.
   
On the subject of Ukraine, Stoltenberg said that Orban has clarified Hungary's stance.

SOUNDBITE 2 (English): JENS STOLTENBERG, NATO Secretary General
"No Hungarian personnel is to be deployed in these activities, and no Hungarian funds will be used to support them."

Despite this, Hungary will allow other NATO allies to move forward with their initiatives.

SOUNDBITE 3 (English): JENS STOLTENBERG, NATO Secretary General
"The prime minister has assured me that although Hungary will not support these efforts, it will enable other allies to move forward."
   
Although Hungary is a member of both NATO and the European Union, Orban has maintained strong diplomatic and economic ties with Russia since the beginning of the Russia-Ukraine conflict and has been a vocal critic of Brussels and Washington.
   
In an interview with Hungarian local media recently, Orban said that everything must be done to stop the spread of war. "If a major war breaks out in Europe, we will all lose."

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Budapest.
(XHTV)