The leader of the Hungarian opposition party “Tisa” Peter Magyar said that Hungary should build pragmatic relations with Russia, while recognizing it as “a risk to European security.”
He said this during a press conference on April 13, reports a correspondent for Suspilny from Budapest.
During his speech, Magyar commented on the future format of relations with Russia, emphasizing the need for a “pragmatic approach.” He noted that he does not plan to initiate personal contacts with Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin, but if he receives a call, he is ready to answer and use the conversation to call for an end to the war against Ukraine.
“If Vladimir Putin calls, I will answer the call. I will not call him myself,” he said.
The politician also noted that the Hungarian government should reduce energy dependence on Russia, but completely abandoning Russian supplies, he said, is difficult due to geographical and economic factors. He added that the goal should be to diversify energy sources and ensure the “safest and cheapest” supplies.
Separately, Peter Magyar stated that Russia poses a “risk to European security,” recalling historical events that, in his opinion, influenced the perception of this threat.
The politician also spoke out in favor of reviewing classified government contracts and criticized the current government's approaches to foreign policy, in particular regarding the transparency of strategic agreements.
“We can't go into another football team's locker room and share the secrets of our tactics. And that's what Peter Szijjarto did,” Magyar explained.