Nato ally attacks Starmer's ‘coalition of the willing' for Ukraine
Hungary's state secretary Zoltán Kovács, the mouthpiece of right wing prime minister Viktor Orban, suggested on a trip to London that western troops in Ukraine could be an extension of a 'proxy war' against Russia.
And he said that Hungary, seen as being close to Russia, would play no part in joint EU efforts.
'It's certain that Hungary 's position is very firm on this,' he said. 'Hungary is not going to participate in any kind of supply of weapons, military cooperation with Ukraine, because we have a different mandate coming from the Hungarian people.'
Sir Keir has been carrying out lengthy negotiations to get a peacekeeping force made up from several countries - dubbed 'the coalition of the willing' - stationed in Ukraine to guarantee any agreement to end the war that may emerge.
So far the UK and France have signed up and Germany is likely to be involved. Discussions took place last week in Kyiv to move it forward and it is likely to be on the agenda this week at the European Political Community.
Hungary was present at summit in London when Sir Keir brought together EU allies from Nato and Canada to discuss Ukraine in March in the wake of President Volodymyr Zelensky's fallout with Donald Trump in the White House.
The British prime minister's plan has been to ensure that Ukraine's security is guaranteed and the country is not invaded again but has met resistance from a number of Nato allies including Trump.
One of the biggest obstacles behind the scenes has been Hungary among a group of other countries opposing the move.
Mr Orban, who is often accused of being pro-Putin, is one of Trump's closest European allies and has been influential on his foreign policy regarding Ukraine and other matters.
Mr Kovacs claimed: 'Basically you have that proxy war has been conducted for two years. Nobody talks about that, but mentions Russians. This war is being conducted not only by Ukraine, but by some Western countries.'
Hungary also seems set to oppose any further sanctions against Russia because it could include energy. The minister warned that cutting off Russian energy poses 'an existential problem' for his country.
He insisted his government would oppose such a move while denying accusations from critics that Hungary is 'pro-Putin and anti-Ukraine'.
Downing Street rejected any suggestion that the coalition of the willing was an extension of a proxy war by the west.
A Number 10 source said: "We refute that on the basis of the coalition's sole purpose being to deliver peace across the region."
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Independent
39 minutes ago
- The Independent
How Starmer and Sunak inspired new Netflix drama
Actress Suranne Jones visited the House of Commons to watch Keir Starmer and Rishi Sunak 'battle against each other' in preparation for playing the prime minister in a new Netflix drama. In Netflix's new drama, Hostage, Jones plays a fictional British prime minister whose husband is kidnapped. On her preparation for the role, Jones said: 'We spoke to people in positions of power. 'We went to the House of Commons, and we watched Rishi Sunak and Keir Starmer battle against each other. 'We met with the Speaker, Lindsay Hoyle. We looked at Nicola Sturgeon. And Jacinda Ardern (the former prime minister of New Zealand). 'We looked at Theresa May. And Lucy Powell (MP for Manchester Central). 'We had fun developing it. It made me think about what being a woman of power means, and what it costs.' She added: 'The whole thing is about you, your family unit, how women split themselves between work and home, what the cost is, how you want to be portrayed, how the world perceives you as a woman, and what you have to battle with, before you start your day. 'All of that is going on before you put your heels on. 'And you might not want to put your heels on. And your power suit. But actually, you have to in order to make a mark in the room.' The series, which will be released on the streaming platform on August 21, sees Julie Delpy play a fictional visiting French president who is blackmailed, leaving the two leaders to face unimaginable choices. Jones rose to fame playing Karen McDonald on ITV soap Coronation Street, and the actress is due to star in the third series of BBC police drama Vigil, which is being filmed this year with a release date yet to be announced. The full interview can be read in the latest edition of Radio Times magazine.
The Independent
39 minutes ago
- The Independent
Government names technical colleges to train 40,000 construction workers
The Government has named the locations for technical colleges which will train 40,000 construction workers, as part of the Government's plan to build 1.5 million new homes during this Parliament. The 10 sites across England comes as part of the Department for Education's planned £100 million investment in training workers. It is hoped that they will help tens of thousands of builders, bricklayers, electricians, carpenters, and plumbers, many of whom are already in the industry, to get improved skills as ministers by 2029. The plans are in addition to a separate target, announced in March, to train 60,000 construction workers. The Department for Education said the initiative was part of reducing its reliance on foreign labour. A further 100,000 construction workers will be recruited by the Construction Skills Mission Board each year by the end of the Parliament. The construction technical excellence colleges will be based in Derby College Group in the East Midlands, West Suffolk College in the east of England, New City College in Greater London, City of Sunderland College in north-east England, Wigan and Leigh College in north-west England, North Kent College in south-east England, Exeter College in south-west England, Bedford College which the Government said will be cross-regional, Dudley College of Technology in the West Midlands and Leeds College of Building – which will cover Yorkshire and the Humber. Some are long-standing colleges, but will receive extra funding and support from the Government. Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said: 'We need skilled workers to deliver the homes, schools and hospitals that communities across the country are crying out for, and today's announcement underlines our commitment to the next generation of homegrown talent. 'Construction Technical Excellence Colleges will enable us to invest in people and give them the skills they need to break down barriers to opportunity.' A recent Government survey found that the percentage of construction firms funding or offering training to their workers has fallen from 57% in 2011 to 49% in 2024. David Hughes, chief executive of the Association of Colleges, said: 'Today's announcement is very positive news for people wanting good jobs, for the construction employers looking for skilled people and for the government's ambitions to build 1.5 million new homes. 'It represents significant investment and trust in the 10 successful colleges, and the college sector, recognising their crucial role in boosting the country's construction sector by opening up high quality learning opportunities all over the country.' Tim Balcon, chief executive of the Construction Industry Training Board, said: 'It's wonderful to see the progress being made towards establishing these technical excellence colleges for construction. 'They represent a transformative opportunity for people to complete local vocational training, helping to drive regional growth and nurture the next generation of skilled construction workers in local communities.' Shadow education minister Saqib Bhatti said: 'We welcome any investment into skills and training for British people, but this pledge rings hollow in the face of Labour's broken promises. 'What young people need are good and secure jobs, but thanks to Labour's jobs tax, jobs are being cut a record rates and unemployment is on the rise. Combined with Labour's cuts to Level 7 apprenticeships, this government is clearly not on the side our next generation. 'Only the Conservatives are on the side of Britain's makers – those who work hard, do the right thing and want to get on, and only we can be trusted to deliver the low tax, pro-growth economy that supports jobs for the future.'
The Independent
39 minutes ago
- The Independent
Starmer set to speak to Trump alongside European leaders ahead of Putin meeting
Sir Keir Starmer is set to join a call with European leaders and Donald Trump on Wednesday, ahead of the US president's meeting with Vladimir Putin in Alaska. The Prime Minister warned on Monday that peace 'must be built with Ukraine, not imposed upon it', amid concerns of Kyiv's exclusion from talks between Mr Trump and his Russian counterpart. The two leaders are set to meet this Friday to discuss the future of the Kremlin's invasion, without the presence of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, Mr Trump has confirmed. The US president has also signalled he thinks Ukraine might need to cede territory in order to end the conflict, stating there is likely to be 'some land-swapping going on'. Speaking during a lengthy press conference, Mr Trump pledged to 'try to get back' some of Ukraine's 'oceanfront property' from Russia. He said: 'We're going to change the lines, the battle lines. Russia has occupied a big portion of Ukraine. They've occupied some very prime territory. We're going to try and get some of that territory back for Ukraine. 'They have taken largely – in real estate we call it oceanfront property. That's always the most valuable property.' Mr Trump said he would speak to the Ukrainian president following the summit and suggested he could meet Mr Putin at a later date. The call on Wednesday, organised by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, will include Mr Zelensky. In a joint statement earlier this week, the leaders of Britain, France, Italy, Germany, Poland, Finland and the European Commission said: 'Ukraine has the freedom of choice over its own destiny. 'Meaningful negotiations can only take place in the context of a ceasefire or reduction of hostilities. 'The path to peace in Ukraine cannot be decided without Ukraine. 'We remain committed to the principle that international borders must not be changed by force.' The Prime Minister and Canada's Mark Carney had also agreed Ukraine's future 'must be one of freedom, sovereignty and self-determination' during a phone call on Monday. A Downing Street spokesperson said: 'They discussed their unwavering support for Ukraine and ongoing work to stop the killing, and end Russia's war of aggression. 'Both leaders underscored that Ukraine's future must be one of freedom, sovereignty and self-determination. 'They welcomed continued international efforts, led by President Trump, to bring peace and agreed that this must be built with Ukraine, not imposed upon it. 'Both leaders agreed they would continue to work closely with President Trump and President Zelensky over the coming days. They agreed to stay in touch.' No 10 had earlier backed Mr Trump's interventions over the war but warned that Mr Putin cannot be trusted 'as far as you can throw him'. Asked whether Sir Keir believes the Russian president could be trusted in negotiations, the Prime Minister's official spokesman said the UK supported both Kyiv and the US president's push for peace, but not Moscow. 'Never trust President Putin as far as you could throw him, but we obviously will support Ukraine,' he said. 'We will obviously support President Trump and European nations as we enter these negotiations. 'But it is exactly why we've been leading this work on the coalition of the willing, because any ceasefire, as I say, cannot just be an opportunity for President Putin to go away, re-arm, restrengthen, and then go again. 'So we're not going to leave it to trust. We're going to ensure that we're prepared such that we achieve a ceasefire.' The US president has suggested that any peace deal was likely to involve 'some swapping of territories', with reports suggesting this could involve Ukraine giving up its Donetsk region. But Mr Zelensky has already rejected any proposal that would compromise Ukraine's territorial integrity, something that is forbidden by Ukraine's constitution. He said Mr Putin wanted to 'exchange a pause in the war, in the killing, for the legalisation of the occupation of our land – he wants to get territorial spoils for the second time'. Mr Zelensky added: 'We will not allow this second attempt to partition Ukraine. 'Knowing Russia, where there is a second, there will be a third.'
