Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orban on Monday said Ukraine was not a "sovereign" country while commenting on Kyiv's accusations of Hungarian drone's breaching the country's airspace.
Responding to President Volodymyr Zelenskiy's accusations last Friday that Hungary flew spy drones on its border to conduct reconnaissance on Ukraine's industrial potential, Orban said: “I believe my ministers, but let’s say it would have actually flown a few metres there, so what? Ukraine is not an independent country. Ukraine is not a sovereign country, Ukraine is financed by us, the West gives it funds, weapons." The Hungarian prime minister made the remarks in an interview on a right-wing podcast.
“Ukraine is not at war with Hungary; it is at war with Russia. It should be concerned with the drones on its eastern border,” Orban stressed. "We support Ukraine, the West supports it, we give it weapons — Ukraine should not behave as if it is a sovereign state," he added.
Responding to the Hungarian Prime Minister's comments, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha wrote on X that Orban "remains intoxicated by Russian propaganda." "We will be eager to hear his thoughts on state sovereignty and independence once he has broken free from his dependence on Russian energy, as U.S. President Donald Trump and European partners insisted multiple times," Sybiha posted.
Being the most Kremlin-friendly European leader, Orban has repeatedly blocked sanctions against Russia and military aid to Ukraine, while also opposing Kyiv's EU aspirations. Hungary, along with another EU country Slovakia purchases Russian oil and gas despite sanctions and warnings by US President Donald Trump.
