Hungarian President Tamas Sulyok sparked controversy after removing the word “Russian” from a condolence message about recent deadly missile and drone strikes on Ukraine.
In his original Facebook post, Sulyok expressed sympathy for the victims of the Russian missile attack on Mukachevo, a western Ukrainian town with a large ethnic Hungarian community. Shortly afterward, the post was deleted and replaced with nearly identical wording — minus the word “Russian”.
Screenshots captured by RFE/RL’s Hungarian Service show the change, raising questions about Hungary’s ongoing reluctance to criticize Moscow despite the war in Ukraine.
The attack on Mukachevo (Munkács in Hungarian), home to around 85,000 residents, was part of a wider wave of Russian strikes across Ukraine on August 21, among the heaviest bombardments in recent weeks.
The Hungarian president’s office declined to comment on the revised statement.
This episode underscores the strained relations between Budapest and Kyiv, as well as Hungary’s position within the EU, where Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and his ruling Fidesz party have repeatedly blocked or delayed European support for Ukraine. Hungary has also opposed Kyiv’s EU accession talks and continues to maintain close ties with Moscow.
Meanwhile, reports suggest that Budapest is under consideration as a possible host city for a US-mediated trilateral summit involving Ukraine and Russia. Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjártó said his country was ready to provide “fair and safe conditions” if negotiations were held in Hungary.
However, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has not endorsed Hungary as a venue, instead proposing Switzerland, Austria, or Turkey for potential peace talks.
