NATO Secretary General Rutte Meets Magyar in Brussels — Praises Hungary's Direction Ahead of Ankara Summit

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte met PM Péter Magyar in Brussels on May 28 to discuss preparations for the NATO Ankara Summit and Hungary's reintegration into the Alliance's common posture. Rutte publicly praised Hungary's new strategic direction, welcoming Magyar's commitment to NATO obligations after years of friction during the Orbán era. The two leaders discussed Hungary's plans to increase defense spending toward the Alliance's targets, the deployment of Hungarian forces on NATO's eastern flank, and Budapest's formal notification of its position on Ukraine. Defense Minister Romulusz Ruszin-Szendi accompanied the delegation. The Rutte meeting followed Magyar's May 27 talks with European Commission President von der Leyen, completing a comprehensive Brussels reset in two days of high-level meetings.