The left would send weapons to Ukraine

Hungary's left wing has once again engaged in warmongering statements. At an event held on Hungary's national holiday, pastor Gabor Ivanyi described the government's refusal to send weapons to Ukraine as the nation's shame. Previously, Peter Marki-Zay, the left's PM candidate, and other leftist politicians stressed that Hungary should help Ukraine with weapons and even troops, even though such a move would entail a serious risk, dragging Hungary into war and endangering Hungarian lives.

POLITICS MARCH 17. 2022 19:32

While left-wing politicians and opposition prime ministerial candidate Peter Marki-Zay are busy trying to deny their earlier statements that they would send weapons to Ukraine and deploy Hungarian troops to the war, pastor Gabor Iványi spoke out in support of the war at an event organised by the left wing on 15 March, Hungary’s national holiday, the Hungarian Origo news portal points out. The leader of the Hungarian Evangelical Brotherhood has repeatedly called PM Orban a traitor, quoting the premier’s earlier remark that whoever wants to send weapons to Ukraine is on the side of war. „On our national holiday in March, Hungary’s prime minister repeatedly promises that we will not help our neighbouring country in its fight for freedom and independence. That’s a shame, my friends,” Mr Ivanyi said.

Gabor Ivany’s pro-war rhetoric is nothing new, as other left-wing politicians have made similar statements in recent days. At a local public forum last Saturday, Anita Korosi Patocska, VP of the Jobbik party, said that they would send Hungarian soldiers to the front line. Mrs Patocska, now running for another term as an MP, began elaborating on the idea by saying that: „If there is a war in which NATO is involved, then of course, soldiers must go and fight, but we are not sending civilians […] „now then I also have a husband, who would be conscripted, and also two sons of military age. Well, obviously, I don’t want my children and husband to be drafted. […] But those who joined the army did so knowing that if NATO sends them to war, then they will board a plane and go to war. Because that’s what they get paid for. They chose this profession, this vocation.”

As we reported earlier, Andras Fekete-Gyor, the former leader of the Momentum party now ranked 5th on (ex-PM) Gyurcsany’s list, also stressed that Hungary should send weapons to Ukraine. Ferenc Juhasz, former defence minister of disgraced Socialist PM Ferenc Gyurcsany, tried to call the Orban government to account about why it would not provide Hungarian ammunition to Ukraine to take down Russian troops.

The MEP of the Democratic Coalition (DK) party, Sandor Ronai, spoke on ATV about the lack of Hungarian military assistance, saying he was remorseful about the Hungarian government’s announcement “that we’re not helping 100 per cent, because other EU member states are helping with arms shipments, for example.” Mr Ronai added that in his view this would not endanger the ethnic Hungarian community in Transcarpathia.

Commenting on the arms shipments, the Russian government said it was considering these shipments arriving into Ukraine’s territory as targets, so it is possible for convoys transporting weapons to be shot at while they are passing through settlements with ethnic Hungarian residents.

The series of pro-war statements began with Peter Marki-Zay weeks ago, when he said – on numerous occasions – that Hungary should supply arms to Ukraine, and if NATO so wishes, then even Hungarian troops should be deployed to war. Later, faced with the public’s overwhelming rejection, he embarked on a mission to explain himself, eventually accusing none other than the government of supplying weapons.

Speaking to Hungary’s public broadcaster on Wednesday, Mr Marki-Zay repeated his untrue claim that PM Orban and his government are supplying weapons to Ukraine. He also claimed that Hungary’s PM had promised British PM Boris Johnson in London that he would provide military assistance to the Ukrainians. In reality, PM Johnson spoke of the V4 countries in this context in general, but Mr Orban has repeatedly confirmed that Hungary will not send weapons or soldiers to Ukraine, arguing that Hungary must stay out of this war.

POLITICS

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Hungary, left, war