Zelenskyy voices disapproval over Orban's anti-Ukrainian comments and involvement of Ukraine in Hungarian election proceedings
Whaddaya know, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has another bone to pick with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, this time accusing him of engaging Ukraine in Hungarian elections and doing "dangerous things."
You guessed it—Orbán's comments about Ukraine's accession to the EU have raised Zelenskyy's ire. In response to Orbán's claims that accession is unlikely, Zelenskyy pointed to a poll of the Hungarian opposition showing that almost 60% favor Ukraine's entry into the EU.
According to Zelenskyy, Orbán is stirring the pot by dragging Ukraine into internal political fights in the lead-up to the 2026 elections. The Ukrainian president believes that Orbán is actually doing this by obstructing Ukraine's accession to the EU. Zelenskyy quipped that Orbán's tricks won't fool the people, as they still support Ukraine.
Moreover, Zelenskyy accused Orbán of committing "dangerous things" for the European Union, and Ukraine is telling its partners about it. In his chat with journalists, he explained that Orbán doesn't have the right to block Ukraine's EU accession, as it's a decision for another state.
In the past, Hungarian and Ukrainian leadership had been working towards accelerating EU accession negotiations in 2025, but Orbán's veto kept things from moving forward. On April 29, Ukraine and Hungary agreed to hold regular consultations in Budapest to unblock the accession negotiations. Despite this agreement, Budapest organized a consultative poll on Ukraine's accession to the EU, with Orbán himself voting against it.
In the meantime, Ukraine's Security Service (SBU) had uncovered a Hungarian military intelligence network operating in the Zakarpattia (Transcarpathia) region of Ukraine. Two former Ukrainian soldiers had been detained for allegedly gathering sensitive military information for Hungary, and the network was allegedly controlled by a Hungarian military intelligence officer[1][2][3].
As a result, Ukraine expelled two Hungarian diplomats, and Hungary retaliated by expelling two Ukrainian diplomats from Budapest. Hungary dismissed the espionage allegations as "propaganda," denying official notice of the case and accusing Ukraine of anti-Hungarian propaganda[1][3].
Hungary also arrested a Ukrainian citizen in Budapest for espionage, adding to the diplomatic tensions[1]. Due to these developments, Hungary unilaterally suspended talks on minority rights, scheduled for May 12, with Ukraine concerning the Hungarian minority in Transcarpathia[1][4].
Some experts believe that Hungary's tactics may foreshadow political or even territorial leverage over Zakarpattia, potentially using the Hungarian minority issue as an excuse, much like Russia's tactics in eastern Ukraine[2].
Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon!
[1] European Pravda[2] Interfax-Ukraine news agency[3] Zelenskyy during conversation with journalists on Saturday[4] Hungarian Deputy Foreign Minister's statement regarding the climate making honest and constructive dialogue impossible.
- The ongoing tensions between Ukraine and Hungarycontinue to escalate, with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy accusing Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán of interfering in Ukraine's elections and obstructing Ukraine's accession to the EU, stirring political fights leading up to the 2026 elections.
- Beyond the political arena, there are reports of a Hungarian military intelligence network operating in Ukraine's Zakarpattia (Transcarpathia) region, resulting in the expulsion of two Hungarian diplomats and the arrest of a Ukrainian citizen in Budapest on espionage charges.
- As the situation intensifies, experts are increasingly concerned about Hungary potentially using the Hungarian minority issue as leverage, reminiscent of Russia's tactics in eastern Ukraine, hinting at political or even territorial aspirations over Zakarpattia.
- In general news and crime and justice sections, there have been discussions on the diplomatic disputes between Ukraine and Hungary and the ongoing diplomatic tensions, which have also impacted talks on minority rights scheduled for May 12.
- As uncertainties loom, the war-and-conflicts and policy-and-legislation segments have been seeing increased coverage, focusing on Ukraine's efforts to address these challenges and seek resolution through international law and diplomatic channels.
