SAEDNEWS: Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto issued a sharp rebuke of Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky, claiming that Kiev has become obsessed with Budapest and is imagining threats that do not exist.
On Friday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky alleged that Hungarian drones had violated western Ukrainian airspace, suggesting they “may have been conducting reconnaissance on the industrial potential of Ukraine’s border areas,” according to RT.
In response, Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó criticized Zelensky’s claims on X, writing that the president “is now starting to see things that aren’t there,” and accusing him of an “anti-Hungarian obsession.”
The dispute intensified as Ukrainian Deputy Foreign Minister Andrey Sibig fired back, emphasizing that “no amount of your attacks on our President will change what we – and everyone – see.” He further accused Hungary of hypocrisy, covert operations against Ukraine, and serving as a Kremlin ally.
Earlier on Friday, Ukraine declared three senior Hungarian military officials persona non grata, prompting further accusations from Szijjártó that Kiev was pursuing an “anti-Hungarian policy.”
Hungary and Ukraine have had tense relations for years. Budapest has resisted pressure from Brussels and Washington to provide weapons to Kiev or support EU sanctions against Russia, citing concerns over Hungarian national interests. Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has also accused Ukraine of discriminating against the Hungarian minority in the Transcarpathia region and of threatening Hungary’s energy security by targeting the Druzhba pipeline, which delivers Russian oil to Central Europe.
This ongoing friction has led Hungary to block EU accession talks with Ukraine earlier this year, advocating instead for negotiations to end the conflict rather than escalating sanctions or military action. Speaking at the UN General Assembly in New York this week, Szijjártó warned that continued hostilities could “carry the risk of escalation” between NATO and Russia, insisting that peace remains the only way to eliminate that risk.
