Orbán harshly bashed Ukraine, Russia praises him, but what will Biden say?

PM Viktor Orbán said in an interview that Ukraine financially was “a non-existent country” as the EU, including Hungary, financed its operations. “This is ruining Europe,” he added. The former Russian president liked Orbán’s words, but Ukrainian officials became outraged. Below, you may find their reactions.

The former Russian president likes Orbán

The Ukrainian Pravda wrote a separate article about Orbán’s statements from yesterday. The news outlet highlighted that the Hungarian prime minister regarded Kyiv as financially non-existent and said that without Western help, Zelensky’s regime would have already collapsed, and the war would have ended.

As was expected, Dmitry Medvedev, Deputy Secretary of the Russian Security Council, noticed his words. “Well done, bold and accurate for a European politician. We can only add that as soon as Western funding ends, Ukraine itself will end,” the former Russian president reacted. The Ukrainian Pravda added that the US Congress was preparing additional sanctions against Hungary concerning leading politicians and government officials. We wrote about that plan and the relevant legislative motion HERE.

Meanwhile, Ukraine’s foreign affairs spokesperson, Oleg Nikolenko, replied harshly on his Facebook page. Nikolenko wrote that Hungary should not deliver an opinion about other countries’ finances while Budapest received much money from the EU. According to index.hu, he regards Orbán’s words as a new anti-Ukrainian statement, and was not surprised it received immediate support from Moscow. Nikolenko highlighted that by supporting Ukraine, Europe invests in European security. The foreign affairs spokesman believes that Ukrainians protect Budapest and other European cities from Russian aggression.

Hungarian sanctions against Ukraine?

Mi Hazánk, Hungary’s radical party protected Orbán. Dávid Dócs, an MP of the party, said that Ukrainian politicians should not insult Hungary. Recent statements by leading Ukrainian politicians were “unacceptable”, Dócs told a press conference on Friday, and he suggested the government may even consider responding with sanctions against Hungary’s neighbour, MTI wrote. Transcarpathian Hungarians would become the main victims of heightened tensions if the government failed to respond adequately, he said, referring to threats by “nationalists and chauvinists from inner Ukraine”. Dócs said it was “unbelievable” that Ukrainians were making such statements when Hungary was providing humanitarian aid and, under pressure from the European Union, “even financial aid is on the horizon”.

As we wrote before, there is tension between Hungary and the USA concerning the war and the policies regarding Russia and China. Hungary would like to reach peace as soon as possible and an independent European policy concerning Moscow and Beijing. The USA would like the European countries to support its struggle against the two global adversaries. France and Poland do not agree on that either on the path. President Macron argued for an extended European independence after his visit to China, while Poland would stick to the utmost protection of the USA.