Peter Szijjarto was in Russia and invites Russian tourists to come to Hungary with Schengen visas / Sending Western troops to Ukraine risks a “world war”, says the Hungarian Foreign Minister in an interview for TASS

Sending NATO troops to Ukraine would be “really dangerous” and would “bring the risk of a world war closer”, said Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó in an interview with Russian state media, in which, on the other hand , invites the Russians to ask Hungary for Schengen visas and to come visit, reports News.ro.

“The terrifying risk of a third world war is approaching,” said Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó in an interview with the Russian state agency TASS, published on Wednesday. “Therefore, we will always call on all our allies and colleagues to refrain from any actions or statements that could bring the risk of a world war closer,” he assured.

Szzijarto was in Russia, in Sochi, on Monday, where he participated in the Atomexpo forum, on the topic of nuclear energy, in the conditions where Hungary is building a nuclear power plant in Paks with the help of Russia. Budapest has remained closer to Moscow than any other member of the European Union or NATO, with Hungary repeatedly opposing sending money and weapons to Kiev.

Szijjártó’s comments come after French President Emmanuel Macron said last month that the possibility of sending Western ground troops to Ukraine should not be “ruled out”. Macron’s comments sparked panic and were the target of immediate backlash from most NATO allies — though not all European leaders condemned his message, POLITICO notes.

“Words matter,” Szijjártó commented to TASS. “When it comes to the possibility of sending troops to Ukraine, on behalf of some NATO member states, it’s really dangerous, because we don’t want to face a threat,” he said.

Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has maintained contact with Russian leader Vladimir Putin since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine two years ago, and congratulated Putin on winning elections this month that most Western democracies widely viewed as unfair.

Szijjártó assured that Hungary is keeping its communication channels open with Russia, adding that Putin and Orbán can “talk at any time” if “there is a need to interact with each other”.

Russians, invited to Hungary with Schengen visas

In the interview for TASS, Szijjarto also said that Hungary does not create any obstacles for Russian citizens in terms of issuing Schengen visas and invited them to come and visit his country.

“We issue visas for Russian travelers without problems. We have not changed the methodology for issuing visas,” he said, emphasizing that in Hungary “there is no discrimination against Russian citizens in this regard.” According to the minister, the country “welcomes all visitors and tourists, regardless of where they come from”.

“Hungary is a wonderful place. We have a long tradition of hosting Russian guests in the field of health, tourist attractions, sports, as well as for various conferences. We have absolutely nothing against it, so of course the Russians are welcome,” said the head of diplomacy from Budapest.