In new twist, Hungary blocks NATO weapon passage to Ukraine

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has denied NATO members planning to move weapons through his country to Ukraine.

“We have decided that we won’t allow any such deliveries,” Orban said in a statement distributed by the Hungarian news agency MTI on Monday night.

Hungary is both a member of the European Union and NATO.

Orban said allowing such passage jeopardizes the security of more than 100,000 ethnic Hungarians live in the western Ukrainian region of Zakarpattia.

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Orban are allies, though unable to block sanctions by NATO against Russia.

“It is in the interests of the Hungarian people that Hungary stay out of this war,” said Orban, in more comments from Monday.