New tensions between Budapest and Kiev: Hungary has blocked 12 Ukrainian news sites, as a response measure, and denounces “a completely unjustified attack”

Hungary announced on Monday that it blocks access to 12 Ukrainian news sites, in response to a similar measure taken by Kiev, a measure that aggravates relations between the two neighboring countries, already tense following the invasion of Russia in Ukraine, writes Reuters.

Earlier this month, Ukraine blocked, at the request of security services, various sites accused of hosting pro-opinions. These include eight portals in Hungarian, including a popular proguvermentary news site, origo.hu.

“A sovereign country must respond to a completely unjustified attack,” said Gergely Gulyas, the head of the Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orban, in a Facebook post, announcing the decision.

Most of the sites targeted by the Budapest government are very read in Ukraine. One of them, European Pravda, is closely following Ukraine aspirations to access the EU and Hungary's efforts to block this process.

Gulyas added that Ukraine forbade Hungarian portals because they wrote critically about sanctions against Russia and military support granted to Ukraine and criticized the European Union and NATO Alliance for their fragmentation and inefficiency.

“If the fragmentation of the European Union offers reasons for state censorship in Ukraine, then it is time for Ukraine to give up its intention of accession,” wrote Prime Minister Orban's office.

Gulyas also claimed that Hungarian sites were forbidden in Ukraine because “they dared to report on the influence activities of the Soros Foundation.” Hungarian financier George Soros and his liberal opinions have been a constant target of Orban's Fidesz Party in the last decade.

Viktor Orban has been skeptical about Western military aid for Ukraine and maintained more cordial relations with Russian President Vladimir Putin than other NATO and EU member states, after the war began.

There was no immediate reaction of Kiev to Hungary's decision to block Ukrainian sites.

Previously, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said again that Ukraine is not sovereign and minimized the accusations that Hungarian recognition drones have violated Ukrainian airspace. This is not the first time Orban denies the sovereignty of Ukraine. He has said several times, over time, that Ukraine is not a sovereign country since he cannot fight against Russia without the support of the West.

The statements of Viktor Orban come in the context in which Ukrainian President Volodimir Zelenski said on Friday that Ukraine suspects Hungary that he had been making recognition drones in his air space. Hungary's Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto responded to the accusations, saying that Zelenski “begins to lose their minds.” Later, the Ukrainian army published two maps on Saturday night with what it says is the route of a drone that violated the air space.