Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto has sharply criticized Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelenskiy, accusing him of harboring an “anti-Hungarian obsession” and imagining threats that do not exist. The clash emerged after Zelenskiy alleged that Hungarian drones had violated western Ukrainian airspace, claiming they might have been conducting reconnaissance on Ukraine’s border areas.
Szijjarto responded by condemning Zelensky’s assertions, stating, “President Zelensky is losing his mind to his anti-Hungarian obsession” and accusing him of “seeing things that aren’t there.” The Hungarian official also reiterated claims that Kiev has pursued an “anti-Hungarian policy,” citing Ukraine’s recent designation of three senior Hungarian military officials as persona non grata.
Ukrainian Deputy Foreign Minister Andrey Sibiga retaliated, dismissing Szijjarto’s criticism as baseless and accusing Hungary of hypocrisy. “We are starting to see a lot of things, Peter, including your government’s hypocrisy and moral degradation, open and covert work against Ukraine and the rest of Europe, serving as a Kremlin lackey,” Sibiga wrote.
Tensions between Hungary and Ukraine have escalated amid Budapest’s resistance to Western pressure over military aid to Kyiv and EU sanctions against Russia. Prime Minister Viktor Orban has previously accused Ukraine of discriminating against Hungarians in Transcarpathia and undermining energy security by attacking the Druzhba pipeline. Hungary has also blocked EU accession talks with Ukraine, advocating for diplomatic solutions over further escalation.
At the UN General Assembly, Szijjarto warned that ongoing hostilities risk “events that carry the risk of escalation” between NATO and Russia, stressing that peace is the only way to eliminate such dangers.
