Orbán noted that last week Ukrainian political leaders, including Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, made “gross insults and threats” against Hungary and its government.
“Our national security authorities have analyzed these attacks from Ukraine and concluded that they are part of a coordinated effort aimed at interfering in the elections in Hungary,” the politician said.
Orban said that he had instructed Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjártó to invite the Ukrainian Ambassador to Budapest.
“We cannot allow anyone to jeopardize the sovereignty of Hungary or the integrity of the Hungarian elections,” the country’s prime minister said.
Context
On January 22, Zelensky said at the World Economic Forum in Davos that “every Victor who lives on Europe’s money” and “at the same time tries to sell European interests deserves a slap on the head.” “And if he feels comfortable in Moscow, this does not mean that we should allow European capitals to turn into small Moscows,” Zelensky said, hinting at Orban’s visits to the Russian Federation.
The Hungarian prime minister responded by expressing the opinion that he and Zelensky “will not be able to come to an agreement.”
On January 23, Orban said that “for 100 years” there will be no Hungarian parliament that will support Ukraine’s accession to the EU. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrei Sibiga responded to his words, noting that Orban’s boss in Moscow (hinting at the meetings of the Hungarian Prime Minister with the illegitimate Russian President Vladimir Putin) “will not last even 100 years.”
On the same day, Szijjarto intervened in this skirmish. He wrote in X that Kyiv allegedly began to interfere in the parliamentary elections in Hungary and wants a government in Budapest that would support Ukraine’s membership in the EU, “dragging Hungary into the war.”
In response to this statement, Szijjártó Sibiga said that “Orbán and his team do not care about the welfare and safety of Ukrainian Hungarians.” The Ukrainian minister also compared Orban to Nazi Germany leader Adolf Hitler's henchman Ferenc Szalasi. Szijjártó then again accused Ukraine of participating in the Hungarian elections.
On April 12, Hungarians will elect a new composition of the country's parliament. On June 10, 2025, Zelensky noted that Orban was using the topic of Russia’s war against Ukraine to his advantage before the parliamentary elections.
