Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán described Ukraine as an “enemy” of Hungary during a speech at a rally on February 7.
Orbán, widely seen as the Kremlin’s closest ally within the European Union, has repeatedly attacked Kyiv and Brussels throughout Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine, foreign media report.
Speaking at a rally in the Hungarian city of Szombathely, Orbán criticized Ukraine for calling on the EU to ban imports of cheap Russian energy.
“Whoever says that this is in Hungary’s interest—then Ukraine is our enemy,” he said.
His remarks come shortly after the EU Council approved plans to phase out purchases of Russian gas by 2027.
Hungary and Slovakia—both considered friendly toward Moscow and still heavily dependent on Russian gas—have challenged the decision at the European Court of Justice.
