US Secretary of State urges Hungary to support Ukraine
On Monday, February 11, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo began his Central European tour of Hungary, Slovakia and Poland. At the joint press-conference with the Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó, Pompeo spoke about the need to support Ukraine, Voice of America reported.
"Today I spoke with the foreign minister about the urgent importance of supporting Ukraine in its quest for sovereignty and territorial integrity,” he said. "Hungarians know all too well from their history that an authoritarian Russia will never be a friend to the freedom and sovereignty of smaller nations.”
Commenting on the cooperation of the USA and Hungary, Pompeo said that Hungary plans to acquire new defense capabilities from the United States. Pompeo is convinced that Hungary’s commitment to spend two percent of its GDP on defense and a strong presence in Afghanistan will strengthen Hungary’s and NATO’s security.
"You need look no further than Ukraine, Hungary’s next-door neighbor, to see why this is needed,” Pompeo stated. "We must not let Putin drive wedges between friends in NATO."