Hungary calls on Belarus to avoid escalation in Ukraine

April 12, BPN. In a meeting with Belarusian Foreign Minister Siarhiej Alejnik in Budapest on April 12, Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó called on Belarus to avoid escalation in Ukraine.

“I asked the Belarusian foreign minister today that his country should do everything possible to avoid an escalation of the war and not take any steps that would increase the risk of the escalation. Hungary is on the side of peace. Peace requires negotiation, and negotiation requires communication channels,” Szijjártó said on Facebook.

“We who live in Ukraine’s neighborhood know very well that if this war escalates, it will first affect neighboring regions,” he added. According to him, “the danger of escalation is higher than ever.”

Alejnik told reporters after the talks that “Minsk’s position on Ukraine is unambiguous: we must stop the loss of life, declare a ceasefire immediately, and begin negotiations – the sooner the better.” “Belarus, like Hungary, is on the side of peace. A ceasefire must be declared without the right to move or regroup troops on both sides, without the right to move weapons and ammunition, manpower and equipment,” he said, as quoted on the Belarusian foreign ministry’s website.

He added that the situation in Ukraine was provoked and fanned “through the efforts of the USA and its satellites.” “Belarus is an extremely peace-loving country. We have enough of our land. We are not going to attack anyone,” said the minister.

Alejnik arrived in Hungary on April 11, when his Hungarian counterpart was in Moscow to discuss energy supplies.