Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has published a response to the open letter from Ukraine’s third president, Viktor Yushchenko, in which he urged the Ukrainian authorities not to pressure Hungary and not to threaten its leadership.
This is reported by Kyiv24
Main Points of Viktor Orban’s Response
In his letter, Orban stated that Ukraine should not use methods he referred to as “state terrorism,” mentioning the sabotage of the “Nord Stream” gas pipeline. Orban emphasized that such actions would not affect Budapest’s policy regarding support or non-support for Kyiv.
“Let your president understand that the state terrorism with which he blew up the German ‘Nord Stream’ pipeline will not work against Hungary.”
The Prime Minister also reminded how Hungary has taken in Ukrainian refugees since the beginning of the war, providing them with shelter and opening Ukrainian-language schools. At the same time, he accused Ukraine of refusing to offer the same opportunities to the Hungarian community in Transcarpathia.
Orban stated that the country with which Ukraine is at war is not an enemy of Hungary, and Budapest has no intention of changing this position. He stressed the desire to remain a friendly country to Ukraine but refused to participate in military actions, provide financial assistance, or supply weapons and military personnel.
Context of the Correspondence and Escalation of Bilateral Relations
Prior to this, Viktor Yushchenko addressed Orban with an open letter, urging support for Ukraine in its struggle for freedom and democratic values. Yushchenko recalled the shared history and values that once united Ukraine and Hungary and criticized the current policy of Budapest, which, according to him, plays into the hands of forces seeking to destroy the freedom of neighboring states.
Under Orban’s leadership and that of Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto, Hungary has repeatedly demonstrated loyalty to the Kremlin and criticized Ukraine’s actions. Since the beginning of the full-scale aggression by Russia, official Budapest has taken positions that differ from the overall EU line on supporting Kyiv and opposes Ukraine’s accession to the EU.
Relations between Ukraine and Hungary have particularly deteriorated after Budapest accused Kyiv of deliberately delaying repairs on the “Druzhba” oil pipeline, which was damaged by Russian missile strikes on Ukrainian energy facilities. This pipeline is critically important for oil supplies to Hungary and Slovakia.
Slovakia and Hungary are currently blocking the adoption of the 20th sanctions package against Russia and are delaying the allocation of multi-billion financial aid to Ukraine, justifying this by the need to restore the operation of the “Druzhba” pipeline.
Additional tension arose from the events surrounding the detention of seven Ukrainian cash transporters in Hungary, who were carrying significant amounts of cash and bank gold. Although the detainees were later released, the transported funds remain under the control of the Hungarian authorities, who stated the need for a detailed investigation. Ukrainian diplomat Andriy Sybiha described these actions as a manifestation of “state terrorism.”
Parliamentary elections will take place in Hungary in April, and recent opinion polls show the opposition leading over Orban’s party. International media have reported on the active involvement of Russian political technologists in the election campaign supporting the incumbent Prime Minister and his party, Fidesz.