Hungary and the Russian invasion of Ukraine

Locations of Hungary and Ukraine
Locations of Hungary and Ukraine

Hungary's reactions to the Russian invasion of Ukraine have been incongruous with the attitudes of NATO and European Union member states since the beginning of the war. Hungary, a member of the European Union and NATO, was one of the few European states that did not provide military aid and completely excluded aid sent by other countries. The Hungarian government received widespread criticism for its attitude to the war, both at home and abroad: Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán condemned the war, but in many of his statements he tried to blame the target of the invasion Ukraine, the Western countries and their organizations, and his political opposition instead of Russia for the prolongation of the war and its economic consequences.

Several Hungarian civil organizations helped Ukrainian refugees, with the government making several videos about helping the refugees with Orbán in the main role despite the fact that the organizations hardly received state aid to help the Ukrainians. The Hungarian government behaved in a contradictory manner during the invasion, and often expressed different views on certain proposals at home compared to while abroad.[1]

  1. ^ "Viktor Orbán at the border: this is how the prime minister manages defense and the reception of refugees". Origo. 1 February 2023. Retrieved 15 August 2024.