Ukraine's Foreign Ministry lodges protest with Hungarian ambassador, Hungarian foreign minister responds
Ukraine's Foreign Ministry has summoned Hungarian ambassador Antal Heizer and expressed a formal protest over recent remarks by Hungarian officials accusing Ukraine of supposedly interfering in Hungary's parliamentary elections.
Source: a statement by Ukraine's Foreign Ministry; Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó on Facebook, as reported by European Pravda
Details: On 27 January, Hungary's Foreign Ministry summoned Ukraine's ambassador in Budapest over what it described as attempts by Kyiv to influence Hungary's parliamentary elections in favour of the opposition Tisza party.
In response, Ukraine's Foreign Ministry also summoned the Hungarian ambassador.
Heizer was told that Ukraine strongly rejects any suggestion of involvement in Hungary's election campaign, saying such claims harm bilateral relations.
Ukraine's Foreign Ministry also called on Hungary to stop aggressive anti-Ukrainian rhetoric to avoid fallout for relations between the two neighbouring countries.
Ukraine stressed that it remains ready to develop constructive cooperation with Hungary.
Szijjártó said he was not surprised by the summoning of the Hungarian ambassador in Kyiv to Ukraine's Foreign Ministry.
"They again expressed objections to the national petition through which the Hungarian people will voice their opinion on Brussels' and Kyiv's intentions to spend Hungarian taxpayers' money on supporting and arming Ukraine," Szijjártó wrote.
He also complained that Hungary had not received explanations regarding why Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy supposedly insulted Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán or why Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha compared Orbán to Hitler's henchman Ferenc Szálasi.
Szijjártó added that, based on what was told to the Hungarian ambassador, "Ukrainians will continue to openly and crudely interfere in the April elections in favour of the Tisza party".
"However, Ukrainians should be prepared that we will protect the sovereignty of our country and will not allow them to influence the election outcome," the Hungarian minister wrote.
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