Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto has sharply criticized Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelenskiy, accusing him of being consumed by an “anti-Hungarian obsession” and fabricating threats. Szijjarto claimed Zelenskiy’s recent allegations that Hungarian drones violated western Ukraine airspace were baseless, stating the Ukrainian leader “is losing his mind” and “seeing things that aren’t there.”
Zelenskiy had previously accused Hungary of conducting reconnaissance on Ukraine’s border regions, a claim Szijjarto dismissed as further evidence of Kyiv’s paranoia. The Hungarian minister also alleged that Ukraine is pursuing an “anti-Hungarian policy,” citing the recent designation of three senior Hungarian military officials as persona non grata.
Ukrainian Deputy Foreign Minister Andrey Sibiga responded by condemning Hungary’s actions, accusing Budapest of hypocrisy and collaboration with Russia. He wrote that Hungary’s government was engaged in “open and covert work against Ukraine and the rest of Europe,” branding it a “Kremlin lackey.”
Tensions between Hungary and Ukraine have persisted for years, exacerbated by Budapest’s resistance to Western demands for military aid to Kyiv and its opposition to EU sanctions against Russia. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has also criticized Ukraine for allegedly discriminating against Hungarians in the Transcarpathia region and for attacking the Druzhba pipeline, a critical Russian oil supply route.
Szijjarto reiterated Hungary’s stance during a UN General Assembly speech, warning that continued conflict risks escalating tensions between NATO and Russia. He emphasized that “peace is the only way to bring this risk down to zero.”