Hungary will not contribute to the financing of American weapons deliveries to Ukraine, should such a proposal be officially raised within the European Union, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjarto said on Monday, July 14.

The comments came after US President Donald Trump vowed to supply weapons to Ukraine, including Patriot missile systems and launchers, via Nato channels, with the military alliance reimbursing the cost of the equipment. The president also reiterated his earlier threat that Washington would introduce 100% tariffs on imports from countries that maintain energy trade with Russia, should the conflict not be resolved by September 2. Szijjarto did not comment on the latter, which, if introduced, would be detrimental for Hungary as Budapest remains a steady buyer of Russian gas and oil.

Speaking at a joint press conference following talks with Moroccan Minister of Industry and Trade Ryad Mezzour, Szijjarto reaffirmed Hungary's long-standing position on the conflict, stating: "Hungarian money, Hungarian weapons and Hungarian soldiers will not be sent to Ukraine. Nothing will be sent there."

Hungary's chief diplomat refrained from criticising Donald Trump for his U-turn and blamed EU and Ukrainian officials for the lack of agreement with Russia.

"No one has done more for peace than President Donald Trump, whose efforts could have been much more successful had European and Ukrainian leaders not hindered them," he said, adding that consultation between the US and Russian foreign ministers was a positive sign.

Meanwhile, the Hungarian government continues to escalate tensions with Kyiv over the death of an ethnic Hungarian man, whose family claims died as a result of forced conscription. Despite the limited availability of verified information and many unresolved details, Prime Minister Viktor Orban and other officials state with absolute certainty that the 45-year-old man was beaten to death with a metal pipe. Kyiv has rejected the accusations, attributing the death to a pulmonary embolism and pledging a transparent investigation.

At the press conference on Monday, Szijjarto condemned what he described as violent and inhumane conscription practices in Ukraine, calling them tantamount to "man hunts".

According to the minister, "people are being beaten to death for not wanting to go to war," and such incidents reflect a level of brutality incompatible with human rights, international law and fundamental European values.

Szijjarto criticised European politicians for remaining silent, and said he would raise the issue at the EU Foreign Affairs Council meeting on Tuesday, asking whether the EU considers violent conscription practices acceptable.

Other government officials also raised the issue, which fitted well with Viktor Orban's anti-Ukraine rhetoric, which came after months of a fearmongering campaign on Ukraine's EU accession. According to the government, more than 2 million people cast their votes offline and online, and 95% of them voted no.

Security analysts claim that the video posted on Orban's official Facebook account falsely depicted an image of a man lying on a hospital bed as the ethnic Hungarian whose death has sparked controversy over forced conscription in Ukraine. According to political analyst Andras Racz, the hospital image shows a different individual who was reportedly ill, not beaten. This incident also shows the lengths to which the Hungarian government is willing to go to stir up hatred against Ukraine.