Austria and Hungary have agreed not to send weapons to Ukraine, Austrian Defense Minister Claudia Tanner and her Hungarian counterpart Christoph Salai-Bobrovnicki said at a meeting in Budapest, emphasizing close cooperation.

 Euractiv writes about it.

 The ministers said during a joint press conference that Austria and Hungary's position on the war in Ukraine is clear, and both countries are not sending weapons to the conflict zone to prevent further escalation.

 Salai-Bobrovnytskyi said that Hungary "will be on the side of the world" by providing humanitarian aid to refugees affected by the war. "Close cooperation will be most important as we live in dangerous times," he said.

 According to Tanner, the biggest danger is that the war could spread to Europe, and it will not only be a conventional war, but also an interaction with hybrid warfare and increased migration in general.

 "The consequences are felt not only in Austria, but also in Hungary. After all, the routes run through our neighboring country to us," Tanner said.

 Last year, the number of asylum applications in Austria tripled to 108,490 applications, making it the EU country with the fastest growth overall. Meanwhile, Hungary registered the fewest applications at just 46. Tanner did not mention the fact that Hungary refuses to register asylum seekers in violation of EU law.