Escalation in Ukraine, Middle East must be avoided: Hungary

WASHINGTON

Hungarian Foreign Affairs and Trade Minister Peter Szijjarto urged the UN on Wednesday to avoid possible escalation of conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East.

"I'd like to ask the Secretary-General (Antonio Guterres) and the member states to make all the possible efforts to avoid escalation in these two conflicts … because in case just one another country gets involved in any of these two conflicts, then these conflicts will not be stopped at the border of that given country and a regional war or a threat of a global war will be realistic," Szijjarto told the UN General Assembly in New York.

Szijjarto said the goal of the international community should be to stand up for peace and to fight terror.

"We are confronted with the chance of an outbreak of a third world war more than ever before," he said.

Many of the member states have not been respecting UN principles, he said, adding: "But in the meantime, I think we have to recognize that many international organizations have failed when it comes to standing up for peace and fighting against terror, which increases the significance of the UN which has to take this role."

Underlying that no "terrorist attack," including against Israel on Oct. 7, should be repeated, he said: "But in the meantime, we have to save the lives of the civilians. We have to make sure that the hostages are released."