Defence Minister Kristóf Szalay-Bobrovniczky has underlined Hungary’s opposition to sending weapons and ammunition to Ukraine. After a meeting of EU foreign and defence ministers in Brussels, he said arms deliveries would only serve to broaden and exacerbate the war. Proposals in Brussels include handing over existing stocks of ammunition to Ukraine, and Hungary will not participate in this initiative, the minister emphasised. He said Europe’s armed forces were developing apace, and investments in the defence industry had also grown, and Hungary was well-positioned to take advantage of the situation. Many of its investments which are either planned or are under way could play a role in joint EU projects, he said. Szalay-Bobrovniczky noted that ministers at the meeting evaluated Strategic Compass, the guidelines adopted in 2022 for the EU’s security and defence policy. The minister said Hungary was in favour of the EU assuming a global role in security, especially in regions where the security situation affected Europe directly. It was highly important, he added, to strengthen the security of the Western Balkans and the Sahel region in Africa with a view to stopping new waves of illegal migration.