Hungary continues to be a reliable ally of Russia, at least in the information war against Ukraine. This time, the head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Péter Szijjártó, distinguished himself. The high-ranking official was outraged by the fact that Hungarians from Transcarpathia (a region about which representatives of the Hungarian authorities have repeatedly made ambiguous and completely incorrect statements, hinting at territorial claims to Ukraine) are being mobilized into the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
Szijjártó repeats Russian narratives
The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Hungary is not only surprised that citizens of Ukraine of Hungarian origin, like all other conscript citizens, are taken to the army, but he also emphasized that Hungarians are dying at the front.
Let’s reveal a terrible secret for Mr. Szijjártó: the enemy, when he kills the defenders of Ukraine, does not divide them according to nationality.
This statement was made against the background of numerous materials in the local mass media about «violent mobilization» in Transcarpathia and the losses of the 128th Mountain Assault Brigade near Soledar and Bakhmut. That is, we can assume that we are dealing with a planned informational attack on Ukraine, which is obviously an aid to the aggressor country in the conditions of a hybrid war.
What conclusion does Péter Szijjártó draw from the amazing discoveries mentioned above? Mobilization processes among Hungarians living in Ukraine «is another reason why Hungary insists on the need to start peace talks.» Exactly what the authorities of the occupying country say.
Is Hungary an ally of Putin?
This attack by Szijjártó does not become so surprising if we recall other scandalous statements of the Hungarian authorities. From the very beginning of the war, Hungary was the only one in the European Union to take an undisguised pro-Russian position. Prime Minister from the ruling Fidesz party, Viktor Orban, emphasized that he considers Putin to be his political role model.
At the same time, immediately after the election, he named Volodymyr Zelenskyy as his opponent:
«We will remember this victory for the rest of our lives, because we had to fight with a huge number of opponents… And the Ukrainian president too — we have never had so many opponents at the same time.»
Among others, the most cynical is Orbán’s attempt to question the genocide of the local population in Bucha. The Prime Minister of Hungary demanded evidence that the terrible crimes of the Russian occupiers were not staged.
Victims of the Russian occupation in Bucha
It is clear that all these attacks on Ukraine and playing along with Putin have, among other things, economic interests.
Expert’s comment
A political analyst, candidate of philosophical sciences, and associate professor of Kyiv National University named after Taras Shevchenko Valentyn Gladkyh commented on the situation for The Ukrainian Review.
A political analyst, candidate of philosophical sciences, and associate professor of Kyiv National University named after Taras Shevchenko Valentyn Gladkyh
«It is necessary to understand that Orbán has his own interests, his own electoral group. For example, he never won an election in Budapest. Hungarians abroad are extremely important voters for him. Therefore, such somewhat chauvinistic statements are not only directed at Ukrainians, but also Romanians, Roma, and other nationalities,» the expert noted.
The political scientist also noted that Viktor Orban’s current «pro-Russianness» is due, among other things, to the similarity of the state structure of the two countries:
«He is pro-Russian in what sense? Orban created a mafia state for himself, so he has a certain piety toward Putin, who created the same state in the Russian Federation. That there is an authoritarian regime, which, in fact, is also the case in Hungary.»
Conclusions
Not all European countries volunteered to help Ukraine immediately after the Russian invasion. However, over time came the understanding that the aggressor will not stop if he is not stopped by force, and all the crimes of the Russian army and the current political regime will be documented, and they will have to be held accountable.
The current leadership of Hungary should think about the fact that they consider a war criminal as an example of a ruler, and by playing along with the Kremlin they support an attack on a sovereign state in the very center of Europe, their neighbors. Being an accomplice to criminals also means taking responsibility for their actions.
Kostyantyn Grechany
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