The events of the Ukrainian crisis and associated Russian actions have caused an „external shock”, shattering the 15-25-year dream that territorial issues are no longer significant and only competition matters, Foreign Minister János Martonyi said on Tuesday.

Addressing a forum at the Centre for European Policy Studies (CEPS) in Brussels, Mr Martonyi said the European Union was not in a position to control the situation. Whatever its efforts, it can only respond, he said.

The EU must stand by its values and principles and put aside internal disputes amid the current state of affairs, he said.

The territorial integrity and sovereignty of states must be respected, international laws must be obeyed, and there are no compromises possible in these matters, he said. If the EU sets clear boundaries as to how far things can go, it must follow through consistently. Earlier, such boundaries were often blurred, he added.

Ukraine needs more support, and the EU must create the spirit of solidarity and burden-sharing, because if the situation changes for the worse, all countries will be impacted to different degrees, Martonyi said.

Hungary is ready to bear the related burdens and it has supported, and will continue to support, sanctions against Moscow. However, it considers it equally important that the consequences of those sanctions must also be reviewed.

Martonyi said the EU's Eastern Partnership programmes for six post-Soviet countries would continue; nor do they exclude Russia in the long run.

Russia for the time being sees geopolitics and diplomacy as a zero-sum game, however, the minister said. Further, many mistakenly still regard the EU as the extended arm of NATO, so that where the former appears the latter must also set foot eventually, he added.

(Ministry of Foreign Affairs)