Hungarian Defense Minister: We're Slamming The Door In The Russians' Faces

• 14.07.2026, 18:13

Budapest intends to restore the trust of its allies.

Hungarian Defense Minister Romulus Rusin-Sendi stated that Budapest must restore the trust of its allies and close its doors to Russia.

He made these remarks during a panel discussion at the Budapest Energy and Security Talks conference, according to Telex.

The minister was asked about current priorities in the defense sector. According to him, vision is the most important factor; however, in order for the new government to develop a strategy, “it is necessary to take into account the interests and values of the nation and its allies.”

Ruszin-Sendi emphasized that Hungary’s interests align with those of its allies and that trust in relations with them must be restored.

That is precisely why one of the government’s first steps was to apologize to certain allies—for example, to the Finns, whose accession to NATO had been delayed by the previous government. The minister noted that, as a military officer, he considered the previous position unacceptable.

“We’re slamming the door in the Russians’ faces,” he added, also mentioning that Russian intelligence agencies “tried to sneak in through the back door.”

At the same time, as Rusin-Sandy noted, the government is keeping an eye not only on Russia’s war against Ukraine but also on the conflict in the Middle East. The minister says that the conflicts will end when governments, armies, and societies want them to end.