‘There is an anti-Putin coalition’, said Ukrainian Deputy Foreign Minister Yevhen Perebyinis, ‘however, Hungary is not a part of it’. Kyiv is greatly disappointed in its Hungarian neighbour according to him; he also believes that Hungary’s relationship with Moscow could be turned to Ukraine’s advantage.

Perebyinis gave an interview to the Slovak SME Svet, which included some criticism towards Hungary. He said that the main reason for Kyiv’s disappointment is Hungary’s attitude in the conflict, as ‘it blocks sanctions against Russia’ and ‘prevents the Ukraine-NATO Commission from meeting’.

He also objected to the fact that ‘anti-Ukrainian speeches’ have been made at times in Budapest, even though they consider the Hungarians as a friendly neighbouring nation. He added that if Hungary thought logically, they would have to support Ukraine, as they too have had to face many trials and challenges throughout their history at the hands of the Soviet Union.

‘The position that Hungary represents today is disappointing. It suggests that the road to peace is for Ukraine to stop resisting Russia. We all know what would happen in this case—Ukraine would cease to exist. We all know that Putin’s goal is to occupy all of Ukraine and annihilate the Ukrainian nation,’

said the Deputy Foreign Minister.

‘This means that Hungary supports the annihilation of the Ukrainian nation. I do not believe they should have this stance. Hungary, which has certain relationships with Russia, should call on Moscow to end the aggression and withdraw its troops from Ukraine. Then the war would be over’, Perebyinis summarised his thoughts on the Hungarian position.

Compromise With Moscow Is Possible

He was also asked if he could imagine any compromise with Moscow. As he said:

‘Of course, there is a compromise, namely the withdrawal of the Russian army from Ukrainian territory and compensation for the damage caused by Russia. We all need to come together and bring criminals to justice, and that is the compromise. Then we can discuss in what capacity could Russia still exist.’

He added that there can be no compromise on Ukraine’s territorial integrity. Perebyinis went on to say that it is only a part of the Russian narrative that the West is tired of supporting Ukraine. ‘It may be somewhat of a surprise, but the anti-Putin coalition exists, and Ukraine’s support is growing,’ he said.

Driving Force of the Baltic States

The Ukrainian Deputy Foreign Minister called the Baltic states the driving force in the fight against Russian aggression. He believes that this is due to ‘their greater experience with Russia. They know very well that Russian ballet and Russian culture per see do not mean that Russia is a civilised country in every respect.’

In his view, some Western countries still admire Russian culture, which has ‘leaked into politics as well. As if the nation of Tchaikovsky could not be an aggressor’, he said. However, those who have experienced this in history know very well that it can be. ‘Even the Western part of Europe is starting to realise this now,’ he added.

Help Arrived Too Late

In the interview, Perebyinis also spoke about how, even before the start of aggression, they had tried to draw attention to Ukraine’s need for more weapons. As he put it, this war has been going on for not one, but nine years.

‘If Ukraine had received what it is receiving today, for example, in March of last year, the situation would have been quite different. I am convinced that we would have liberated most of the occupied territories by now.’, said the Deputy Minister, who also believes that Western help came a little too late. ‘We are trying to explain to our international partners that every day of hesitation costs the lives of our soldiers and civilians. The sooner Ukraine gets everything it needs to win, the sooner victory will come, and the fewer casualties there will be,’ said the Ukrainian politician.

Reaction

‘We will not let anyone drag us into the war, we continue to urge for a ceasefire and peace negotiations’ – said Máté Paczolay, the spokesman for the Hungarian Ministry of Foreign Affairs in response to the statement made by the Ukrainian Deputy Foreign Minister that ‘Hungary supports the destruction of the Ukrainian nation.’

In his statement sent to the Hungarian State News Agency (MTI) on Tuesday, Paczolay claimed that the Ukrainian official’s statement was ‘an obvious act of provocation, and moreover, it was done in an unacceptable style.’