Budapest summons the Ukrainian ambassador for what it considers offensive statements about Hungary
The Hungarian Foreign Ministry has summoned Ukraine’s ambassador to Budapest for what it has called her offensive remarks about Hungary’s stance on the war, the country’s Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said on Wednesday. “It is time for Ukrainian leaders to stop insulting Hungary and recognize the will of the Hungarian people,” Szijjártó wrote in a statement, referring to the ruling party’s landslide victory in Sunday’s elections.
“No one can afford to discredit the democratic decision of the Hungarian people! Statements about the establishment of totalitarian regimes, about complicity in war are unacceptable,” Szijjártó stressed. Although the minister has not specified what statements he was referring to, the local press recalls the friction that has taken place in recent weeks between Hungary and Ukraine.
Hungary – with Serbia and, of course, Belarus – is one of the European countries closest to Putin. Last Sunday, Viktor Orban, the country’s prime minister, achieved his fifth consecutive victory in an election in which he defeated a united all-opposition coalition. Orbán has gone hand in hand with Brussels in all the sanctions approved so far against Moscow, although with buts. In the last days of the campaign, he also accused the Ukrainian president, Volodímir Zelenski, of having reached an agreement with the opposition to intervene in the elections.
Hungary has also carried out contradictory policies, such as condemning Putin’s offensive in Ukraine at the UN, but days later renouncing arms shipments to Ukraine and preventing its European and NATO partners from transporting them through its territory.
Budapest’s loyalties have been much closer to Moscow in recent years than to kyiv, with whom it had a dispute since 2017 at the expense of language policy that affects the minority of Hungarian origin residing in Ukrainian Transcarpathia. With Moscow, Orbán has strong economic ties, but in addition, the Putin regime is a model for which the ultra-conservative leader has built in Hungary.
In addition, the European Union is studying the possibility of vetoing coal imports from Russia – and its proposal also opens the door to banning oil and gas from this country. This measure is a direct response to the Bucha massacre near kyiv, which is to be investigated as a war crime. Approval of the measure will require the support of all member states. Hungary —together with Germany, in this case due to its high dependence on Russian energy— have so far resisted applying energy sanctions to Russia. (THE COUNTRY and Reuters)
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