Hungary has taken in some 840,000 refugees from Ukraine since the outbreak of the war 146 days ago, the foreign ministry cited Szijjártó as saying ahead of a United Nations Security Council debate on “Children and Armed Conflict”.

Because of conscription rules in force in Ukraine, most of those coming to Hungary are families that have been torn apart, mothers and children, Szijjártó said.

Hungary is doing everything it can to ease the pain of the children suffering from the war, the minister said, noting that Ukrainian parents who choose to stay in the country for a longer period are offered jobs, while their children are provided schooling and health care.

Over the last months, some 500 Ukrainian children have attended Hungarian kindergartens, while schools have welcomed some 1,700 Ukrainian students, Szijjártó said, adding that Ukrainian children will be able to attend Hungarian institutions in the next school year, too.

The government has also ensured special medical treatment for 130 children, and has offered scholarships to 1,000 Ukrainian students to study at Hungarian higher education institutions, Szijjártó said.

He underscored at the same time that the only real solution would be peace. “Peace is the only solution and peace is the solution to everything,” Szijjártó said.

“Peace is the solution to curbing wartime inflation gripping our European economy. Peace is the solution to the uncertainty of our energy supply in Europe. Peace is the solution to preventing a food crisis.”

“And peace is also the solution to ending the suffering of children so that families can be reunited and no more children will be forced to flee,” he added.


MTI Photo: Zsolt Czeglédi