Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has described Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban's policy and statements against Ukraine as a “historic mistake“, DPA reports, BTA reports.
In an interview with the Hungarian news site “Válasz Online“, published today, Zelensky accused Orban of using propaganda against Ukraine for domestic political gain.
“He (Orban) is using Ukraine for electoral purposes“, Zelensky said. “He does not understand that this will have much more serious and dangerous consequences. By not helping us, he is actually doing a favor to (Russian President Vladimir) Putin. That is why I claim that Viktor is making a serious historical mistake.“
For several weeks, the Hungarian government has been actively campaigning against providing aid to Ukraine and opposing its admission to the European Union. The main message of the campaign is that supporting Kiev could drag Hungary into war and harm the economy. As part of the same campaign, Zelensky's face is depicted on billboards across the country.
“How is it possible that he (Orban) can use my image to win elections? I did not give him permission to do so“, the Ukrainian president stressed.
Zelensky also recalled that at the beginning of last month, the Ukrainian security service arrested two Ukrainian citizens of Hungarian origin, suspected of spying for Hungarian intelligence. He said there was additional evidence in the case that had not yet been made public.
In response, Hungary arrested a suspected spy who allegedly worked for Ukraine and was close to opposition leader Peter Magyar.
Hungary, a member of the EU and NATO, will hold parliamentary elections in early 2026. Orban, who has ruled the country since 2010, is under increasing pressure from Peter Magyar's newly formed conservative Tisza party, which is leading in recent opinion polls, DPA noted.