Hungary will not block NATO decisions on providing support for Ukraine but has agreed that it will not be involved, Prime Minister Viktor Orban said on Wednesday during a visit to Budapest by the alliance's Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, Reuters reports.
Hungary has been at odds with other NATO countries over Orban's continued cultivation of close ties to Russia and refusal to send arms to Ukraine, with Budapest's foreign minister last month labelling plans to help the war-torn nation a "crazy mission".
Orban said he had received assurances from Stoltenberg that Hungary would not have to provide funding for Ukraine or send personnel there.
Western countries have debated the possibility of training troops in Ukraine, but NATO has stressed it does not want to become directly involved in the conflict.
Stoltenberg's visit to Budapest came a day after a summit of leaders of eastern flank NATO states in the Latvian capital Riga. Hungary did not attend, in a sign of its differences with many of its neighbours over support for Ukraine.
The meeting formed part of the preparations for a NATO summit in Washington in July, at which members are due to agree on a 40 billion euro ($43 billion) annual support package for Ukraine.
"I am confident that when NATO leaders meet in Washington we will be able to finalise agreement on these issues."
