Hungarian officials have reacted with fury after interpreting remarks by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky as a threat towards Prime Minister Viktor Orbán in remarks about an EU arms package, with one government spokesman describing the comments as “outrageous”.
On Thursday, Zelensky criticised the Hungarian leader for blocking a €90bn European Union support package for Ukraine, warning that if the obstruction continued he would give the Hungarian leader’s address to Ukrainian soldiers so they could “call him and talk to him in their own language.”
“We hope that one person in the European Union will not block €90 billion, or the first tranche of the €90 billion,” Zelensky said.
“And that the Ukrainian soldiers will have weapons. Otherwise, we will give the address of this person to our armed forces, our boys, let them call him and talk to him in their own language.”
The remarks prompted a strong response from Zoltan Kovacs, Hungary’s State Secretary for International Communication and an international spokesman for the Prime Minister’s office, who accused the Ukrainian president of issuing threats.
“These threats and blackmail from @ZelenskyyUa have gone far beyond every acceptable limit,” Kovacs said in a social media post on Thursday.
“When someone threatens to give a person’s address to Ukrainian soldiers simply because they do not support another €90 billion weapons package, that is not diplomacy, it is an open threat.”
“This is outrageous. Personal emotions have no place in matters like this. Hungary cannot be intimidated, and we will not yield to blackmail.”
The exchange comes amid an ongoing dispute within the European Union over financial and military assistance for Ukraine as it continues to fight Russia’s invasion.
Hungary vetoed the €90bn package earlier this month. The government in Budapest has also opposed additional EU sanctions on Russia, citing concerns linked to energy supplies.
Hungary says the dispute relates to the Druzhba pipeline, a Soviet-era oil pipeline that carries Russian crude to parts of Europe. Budapest has accused Ukraine of cutting supplies through the pipeline during the conflict.
Ukrainian officials have said the disruption was caused by Russian attacks on infrastructure in January, adding that repair work is underway and that flows could resume within several weeks.
The disagreement has increased tensions between Zelensky and Orbán during the fourth year of Russia’s war against Ukraine.
Hungary’s government has maintained comparatively civil relations with Moscow during the conflict relative to other EU states, and has often called for negotiations, while also resisting certain EU measures linked to military aid.
The issue has also featured in Hungarian domestic politics, with Orbán campaigning ahead of national elections scheduled for April 12th.
European Union data indicates that, since the outbreak of the war, the EU together with its 27 member states has mobilised roughly €169.5 billion in overall support for Ukraine. This assistance spans financial, military, humanitarian, and refugee-related aid, with about 65% delivered as grants or direct support in goods and services, and the remaining 35% provided through highly concessional loan arrangements.
This does not include $188 billion sent to Ukraine by the US.