Hungary, Malta Oppose Weapons Supplies To Kiev, EU Voting Reform - Foreign Minister

Hungary and Malta do not send any weapons to Ukraine and oppose the idea of replacing unanimous voting with a supermajority system in the European Union, Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said on Friday

BUDAPEST (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 16th December, 2022) Hungary and Malta do not send any weapons to Ukraine and oppose the idea of replacing unanimous voting with a supermajority system in the European Union, Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said on Friday.

"Malta and Hungary agree that peace in Ukraine is urgently needed. Neither Malta nor we send weapons to Ukraine... It is important that Malta and we together think that the European Union is an integration of sovereign states. (We) do not support (the EU) moving from unanimous decision-making towards a qualified majority," Szijjarto said after a meeting with his Maltese colleague, Ian Borg.

He also noted that the EU stripped member states of more and more powers, thus Hungary and Malta urge Brussels to treat every country with respect regardless of its size. Besides, Szijjarto underlined that energy security of both Hungary and Malta had been compromised due to their geographic location.

The sides have also discussed illegal migration, with the Hungarian foreign minister criticizing policies of the EU.

"As long as Brussels has stance that contradicts the international law, migration pressure on Europe will grow. Malta is also facing all of this, since more and more illegal migrants arrive on the shores of Southern Europe because of the cooperation between NGOs and smugglers in the Mediterranean," Szijjarto said.

Since the beginning of the Russian military operation in Ukraine, Budapest has been opposing arms transfer to Kiev, training of Ukrainian soldiers in the EU and banning of all Russian oil and gas supplies to Europe. Szijjarto said that Budapest sought to protect Hungarian-populated districts of the Zakarpattia Oblast of Ukraine, since this region would become a legitimate military target, if weapons were delivered through this region.