President Volodymyr Zelenskyy also said he believes that Orbán is afraid of Russian influence.Continue reading
Hungary’s foreign ministry has summoned Ukraine’s ambassador, Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó said on Wednesday.
In a Facebook post, Szijjártó said Hungary had a clear stance on the war in Ukraine. “We have condemned military aggression, stand by the sovereignty of Ukraine, have accepted hundreds of thousands of refugees and delivered hundreds of tonnes of food and other donations.”
At the same time, Hungary’s government sees the security of Hungarians as a priority, he said. “This is not our war, we want to and shall stay out of it,” he said. The government will not risk the peace and security of Hungarians, and so will not “deliver weapons or vote for energy sanctions” against Russia, he said.
Hungarians have given their “clear and easily understandable” judgment of the issue at Sunday’s general election, where ruling Fidesz won a landslide victory, he said.
“We can see that Ukraine would have had another outcome in their interest, and we do not discuss that: they put the interests of Ukrainians first, and we do the same for Hungarians,” he said.
However, “statements on fledging totalitarianism, Hungary being complicit in war, or the decision of Hungarians being lamentable are unacceptable,” he said.
“It is time Ukrainian leaders stopped insulting Hungary and acknowledged the will of the Hungarian people,” he said.
State Secy Levente Magyar rejects Ukraine leaders’ remarks on Hungary
Foreign ministry state secretary Levente Magyar on Wednesday talked to Ukrainian Ambassador Lyubov Nepop, and rejected what he called “unfair accusations” levelled by Ukrainian leaders against Hungary.
Magyar told MTI after the meeting that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Deputy Prime Minister Olha Stefanishyna had accused Hungary’s government of “not reacting proportionately” to the Russia-Ukraine war.
Zelensky’s comments that Hungary “wasn’t even doing as much as everyone else does”, and that Hungary “supports Russia”, are offensive to all compassionate Hungarians who have condemned the war and actively helped Ukraine, Magyar said.
Hungary “set aside its ongoing debates with Ukraine on the first day of the war, and, contrary to the words of the Ukrainian deputy prime minister, has not stood in the way of the cooperation between Ukraine, the European Union and NATO”, Magyar said. “We have opened the borders to more than half a million refugees since the start of the war, contributed to easing the suffering of those in need with countless deliveries of private and state-funded donations, provided hospital treatment for 130 Ukrainian children and taken part in every international effort aiming to stop the bloodshed,” he added.
None of those efforts would have been possible without the sacrifice and support of Hungarian citizens, who only deserve praise and gratitude for their efforts, he said.
“We call on Ukraine to refrain from insulting Hungary and commenting on its internal affairs even in these hard times; they can, in the meantime, continue to count on our help,” he said.
Featured photo via Péter Szijjártó’s Facebook page