Hungary has strongly criticised NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte’s warning that Russia could be capable of attacking the alliance within five years, with Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó describing the remarks as irresponsible and dangerous.
In a statement posted on the U.S. social media platform X on Friday, Szijjártó accused Rutte of making alarmist claims by suggesting NATO could be Russia’s next target and by linking Ukraine’s security directly to that of the alliance.
Hungary, a NATO member state, firmly rejects this assessment, Szijjártó said, arguing that European security is guaranteed by NATO itself rather than by Ukraine. He stressed that Kyiv is fighting for its own national security, not on behalf of the alliance.
The Hungarian foreign minister also suggested that Rutte’s comments undermine diplomatic efforts led by the United States to pursue a negotiated settlement to the war, claiming the remarks contradict ongoing discussions around a U.S.-backed peace initiative involving Ukraine and Russia.
He warned that heightened rhetoric risks escalating tensions at a time when restraint and diplomacy are needed, calling on NATO leadership to avoid statements that could further inflame the conflict.
Rutte made the comments on Thursday during a speech at an event linked to the Munich Security Conference in Berlin, urging NATO members to increase defence spending and strengthen deterrence. He said Russia’s war-focused economy could enable it to pose a direct military threat to the alliance within five years.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Friday that Ukraine is pursuing parallel diplomatic tracks with European partners and the United States, focusing on security guarantees, economic recovery and broader coordination aimed at ending the war.
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Kazakhstan’s Reform Commission has published a draft of a new Constitution that would mark the most extensive revision of the country’s law since independence, including an absolute ban on the death penalty and more rights and freedoms for citizens.
Any U.S. military strike on Iran would almost certainly trigger cross-border retaliation and could ignite a wider regional war, according to political analyst James M. Dorsey.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has ordered the start of nuclear talks with the United States, Iranian media reported on Monday, signalling a possible diplomatic opening after months of heightened tensions.
Tensions flared on X this week after German MEP Michael Gahler called leaders of Georgia’s ruling Georgian Dream party “Moscow creatures”, criticising recent legislation he says threatens the country’s democratic path.
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Saturday that the United States has begun negotiations with European leaders over Greenland and that an agreement is already taking shape.
The United States accused Cuba of interfering with the work of its top diplomat in Havana on Sunday (1 February) after small groups of Cubans jeered at him during meetings with residents and church representatives.
Dmitry Medvedev, said European countries have failed to defeat Russia in Ukraine and have instead inflicted serious economic damage on themselves, as he criticised EU policy, praised Donald Trump as a leader who seeks peace, and said Russia would “soon” achieve military victory in the war.
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has warned that any U.S. military attack on Iran would spark a wider regional conflict, Iranian semi-official Tasnim news agency reported on Sunday.
U.S. president Donald Trump said Iran is “seriously talking” with the United States and expressed hope that negotiations could lead to an outcome acceptable to Washington.
Türkiye, Egypt, and Qatar are trying to organise a meeting in Ankara between White House Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and top Iranian officials, according to reports in the U.S. and Turkish media.
German authorities have arrested five people suspected of running a criminal network to circumvent European Union sanctions by exporting goods to at least 24 sanctioned Russian defence companies, the federal prosecutor’s office said on Monday.
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief: here are the top news stories for the 2nd of February, covering the latest developments you need to know.
At least 12 people were killed and seven wounded after a Russian drone struck a bus carrying miners in Ukraine's southeastern Dnipropetrovsk region, government officials said on Sunday (1 February).
The United States accused Cuba of interfering with the work of its top diplomat in Havana on Sunday (1 February) after small groups of Cubans jeered at him during meetings with residents and church representatives.
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