Liliána Grexa has called the war a ‘battle of David and Goliath’ in front of the Hungarian Parliament. The spring session in the House began on Monday, when the Ukrainian minority spokesperson also took the floor.
She started by saying that the Hungarian government has created the legal conditions for the Ukrainian minority self-government to launch the first Ukrainian supplementary language school. As she stated, it had been 368 days since Russia launched a full-scale attack against Ukraine. Many have been praying for their loved ones to survive since, and everyone wants the Ukrainians to win and bring peace to the country at last. She emphasised that the Ukrainian people have been holding up against Russian aggression for those dreadful 368 days, although about 18 million people have been forced to leave their homeland behind.
She went on to say that the democratic international community, including Hungary, is helping Ukraine, then expressed her gratitude to everyone for that.
At the same time, she also believes that in the history of the Ukrainian minority in Hungary, there have never been so many unfounded attacks to endure.
Liliána Grexa also stated that a piece of the refugees’ hearts remained with those who are fighting on the front, their hearts beat with those who have become accustomed to the sound of the air-raid siren, which signals ‘death knocking again,’ as the aggressor attacks. Hungarian Ukrainians are grateful to everyone who helps them in these difficult times, said the speaker. She also warned that Russian propaganda has infiltrated Hungary, although fortunately to a negligible extent, before closing her speech with a quote by Viktor Traski.
In response, State Secretary Levente Magyar emphasised that Hungary’s position has been decisive from the very beginning, always standing up for Ukraine’s territorial integrity and sovereignty, not recognising the results of the referendum held in the occupied Ukrainian territories nor the annexation of these territories. As he said, Hungary has always been on the side of peace, and does not support the escalation of the conflict with arms shipments. He pointed out that hundreds of Hungarians have been injured and killed in this war, and an unconditional start to peace negotiations is needed to end it.
According to the State Secretary,
‘Although Hungary does not supply weapons, we are helping Ukraine with every other available means: oil is flowing towards Ukraine, we have funded the reconstruction of destroyed infrastructure, we have started rebuilding public institutions in Bucsá, and we have rebuilt a school in Borogyanka. We are constantly building the necessary infrastructure for domestic refugees in Transcarpathia, supplying the necessary equipment for their education, while also supporting healthcare institutions’,
He concluded by emphasising that if anyone wants to give the impression that Hungarians are not doing enough, ‘we tell them that Hungary is on the side of peace, and we provide all the help we can.’
