Sybiha made a statement regarding Magyar's remarks, mentioning "Orbanism" - Budapest responded with a comparison to rural football
Kyiv • UNN
Sybiha criticized Hungary's withdrawal from participation in the “Carpathian Eight” and its doubts about energy cooperation. Budapest responded.
Ukraine's Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha and Hungarian Prime Minister Peter Magyar exchanged remarks with Hungarian Foreign Minister Anita Orban regarding the Hungarian government's head's recent statements, UNN writes.
What Sybiha said
Ukraine's Foreign Minister responded following Peter Magyar's remarks regarding the "Carpathian Eight" and bilateral energy cooperation.
"We are surprised by the Hungarian Prime Minister's groundlessly confrontational statements directed at Ukraine. The Carpathian integration initiative is aimed at developing our entire region, promoting prosperity, interconnectedness, and the implementation of mutually beneficial projects in the eight Carpathian countries. The reasons for Hungary's categorical refusal remain unknown," Sybiha wrote on X on the evening of September 21.
"An equally strange development was the statements casting doubt on the direct, pragmatic, and mutually beneficial cooperation between Ukrainian and Hungarian energy companies, agreed upon in a bilateral memorandum," Sybiha continued.
The minister stressed: "When politics interferes in pragmatic business interaction, nothing good comes of it. The latest statements from Budapest leave us perplexed. It appears that although Viktor Orban has left, his policy of blocking and isolationism continues to flourish. Orbanism has not benefited either Hungary or the wider region in the past—and will not benefit anyone in the future. Despite these statements, we once again emphasize Ukraine's readiness and openness to developing mutually beneficial, pragmatic, and mutually respectful bilateral cooperation with Hungary."
What Budapest replied
Hungarian Prime Minister Peter Magyar and Hungary's chief diplomat Anita Orban responded to Sybiha's post.
"I am helping you. Claiming that a sovereign country is a member of international cooperation (Carpathian integration) without prior consultation with or consent from the country concerned is completely unacceptable. I will simply give an example: Hello, we have formed a football team in the neighboring village. We do not know each other, but you are on the team, and you must bring the ball," Magyar replied on X.
Earlier, during a speech in parliament, Magyar, as quoted by DW, stated that Hungary is not a participant in the "Carpathian Eight" format initiated by Ukraine, "for good reasons," but did not explain them. He also opposed the construction of oil storage facilities in Hungary for Ukraine's needs, which Ukrainian "Naftogaz" and the Hungarian company MOL had agreed on.
"Prime Minister Magyar clearly stated that Hungary has not joined the C8 initiative, which is a fact. Moreover, no international energy cooperation can take place without the participation of the Hungarian government. Since the new Hungarian government came to power, it has made quite a few gestures toward Ukraine. Therefore, there is no analogy with the obstructionist policy pursued by Viktor Orban," Hungarian Foreign Minister Anita Orban added on X.