Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Siyyarto accused the Ukrainian leadership of trying to influence the upcoming elections in the country, according to the Associated Press. His Ukrainian counterpart, Dmytro Kuleba, has denied the allegations, further fueling tensions between the two countries.
In a video posted on social media, Hungary’s foreign minister said there was “permanent coordination between the Hungarian left and the Ukrainian government” and that Ukraine was trying to influence Hungary’s April 3 election in favor of a coalition of opposition parties. Siarto did not provide any evidence of his allegations.
His statement came after recent comments by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, in which he sharply criticized the Hungarian government’s approach to the war.
Siyarto said Kuleba had contacted Ukraine’s ambassador to Budapest to discuss how Ukraine could influence Hungary’s election, in which Prime Minister Viktor Orban hopes to win a fourth consecutive term. Kuleba, however, told a Ukrainian newspaper that Ukraine had never interfered in Hungary’s internal affairs, especially before the election.
In his video address, Siyarto said that if the left-wing parties come to power, they will “immediately start supplying weapons to Ukraine and vote for sanctions against oil and gas supplies to Europe (from Russia),” TARS reported.
He stressed that the government of Victor Orban is against such steps, as they could pose a threat to security and the country’s economy. Siyarto added that Hungary wants “not to interfere” in the conflict in Ukraine.