The war in Ukraine must be ended through a ceasefire and peace talks, the Hungarian defence minister said, after meeting his Slovak counterpart on Friday. Kristóf Szalay-Bobrovniczky and Robert Kaliňák visited Tata, in northern Hungary, and inspected new equipment of the 1st Armoured Brigade and a simulation centre used in training there. Szalay-Bobrovniczky said he and Kaliňák agreed in their assessment of the war in Ukraine. Slovakia and Hungary are both members of the European Union and NATO, as well as neighbours “with a shared history and values, in strategic partnership”, he said. Hungary is also securing the Slovak airspace until that country takes delivery of recently ordered fighter jets, he added. After a presentation of military equipment, Szalay-Bobrovniczky noted that some of the equipment is being manufactured in Hungary, “which allows for cooperation with Slovakia”.
Deputy Prime Minister Kaliňák, who also serves as defence minister, said “it is not right that the European Union should allow only one opinion.” Prolonging the conflict would benefit no one, Kaliňák said. “We need peace and calm so we can focus on developing our own countries,” he added.