Shocking: Hungarians see Ukraine as nearly as big a threat as Russia

Hungarians view Ukraine as almost as significant a threat as Russia, according to a recent Pew Research Centre survey reported by the Hungarian daily Népszava on Sunday.

Exploring perceptions of key allies and main threats by region, the survey found that 33% of Hungarians see Russia as the most serious threat, while 27% see Ukraine as the second-greatest threat.

Népszava linked the results to Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s criticism of Kyiv over the ongoing war with Moscow and his opposition to Ukraine’s EU accession, stressing that “Orbán’s propaganda is effective.”

The results of the survey also differed between the supporters and non-supporters of the ruling party Fidesz.

“Only 11 percent of Fidesz members consider Russia to be the main threat, while the same rate among non-Fidesz members is 52 percent,” Népszava reported.

It noted that 45% of Fidesz voters see Ukraine as the top threat compared to just 14% among non-Fidesz voters. The survey also found that nearly three-quarters of Hungarians lack trust in Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Despite the Orbán government’s anti-EU stance, most Hungarians still see the EU as the country’s main ally with 24%, followed closely by the US at 23%.

Read more Ukraine-related news on Daily News Hungary.

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