Hungarian European Affairs Minister Janos Boka (pictured) spoke to the Financial Times (FT) in an interview published on Thursday against including Ukraine in Europe's defense system and the process of its fastened accession to the European Union, while noting that "we see the need for a buffer zone" between the bloc and Russia.
"Ukraine can only function as a buffer zone if there is a consensus among global actors on what is possible and what is not possible on the territory of Ukraine," Boka explained. "Otherwise, it will be a conflict zone, not a buffer zone."
Commenting on Budapest refraining from aligning with the EU's strict policy of imposing heavy sanctions on Russia over its military operation in Ukraine, Boka said that "[w]e do not want decisions on the sanctions regime to become an obstacle to the ceasefire and peace negotiations" amid the ongoing talks between Moscow and the US.
