Hungarian President Katalin Novak condemns Russia's aggression, backs Ukraine joining EU

Hungary's new President Katalin Novak on Saturday condemned the relentless Russian military offensive in Ukraine. Speaking at her inauguration ceremony in the Parliament on Saturday, May 14, Novak stated that Hungary would "forever say no to any ambition to restore the Soviet Union," The Daily News Hungary reported. She further asserted that the people of Hungary seek peace and demanded an investigation into the war crimes in Ukraine. Katalin Novak further stressed that Hungary will not give up its sovereignty and expressed willingness to support Ukraine in joining the EU countries. 

Katalin Novak also asserted that Hungary is ready to make sacrifices for peace, adding that it will not stop its allies from making sacrifices. However, she stressed that they will not agree to decisions that require sacrifices from the people of Hungarians. She further offered to mediate in the interest of the resumption of peace negotiations between Russia and Ukraine, as per The Daily News Hungary news report. In addition, Novak stated that she supports the interests of Ukraine's ethnic Hungarian community. The new President of Hungary said that the war in Ukraine has caused a "shadow over the lives of Hungarians." She added that after Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Hungary had to outline a long term response to the military attack. She said that around 700,000 refugees from Ukraine have arrived in Hungary and the people of the country have been gathering donations to provide care to the injured and provided shelter, food etc to the families who came from Ukraine.

Lawmakers to elect Prime Minister on May 16

It is pertinent to mention here that Katalin Novak has now become the first-ever female President of Hungary. In the inauguration ceremony, Novak stated that the lawmakers will elect the new Prime Minister on Monday, 16 May. The inauguration ceremony had in attendance incumbent Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, Speaker of Parliament Laszlo Kover and other senior officials. Meanwhile, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has opposed the EU's plans to announce sanctions on Russian oil. He called the EU's proposal on Russian oil an "atomic bomb dropped on the Hungarian economy, " Euro News reported citing Radio Kossuth. Orban said that his country would need four to five years to revamp its energy system and become independent from Russian oil. He further pointed out that other EU nations can bring additional crude barrels through their ports, however, he insisted that Hungary does not have that way. 

Image: AP/Facebook/NovakKatalin