Ukrainians have made open, serious threats against Hungary, PM Orbán says – UPDATED
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The Ukrainians “have made open and serious threats against Hungary”, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said after talks with Irakli Kobakhidze, his Georgian counterpart, as part of a Hungarian-Georgian government summit in Budapest on Wednesday.
Ukraine threatens, blackmails Hungary, says Orbán
Reacting to an interview with Ukrainian President Voldymyr Zelensky published on Tuesday, Orbán said the Ukrainians “refuse to accept that in Hungary it’s the Hungarian people who decide on Ukraine’s European Union accession”, and that they “especially don’t accept if this decision is a negative one, so they threaten, blackmail and attack us”.
“We recommend that instead of threatening and blackmailing us, the Ukrainian president should thank Hungarians,” the prime minister said, noting that Hungary had ensured transit for Ukrainian refugees, and offered them public services while they were staying in the country.
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Turning to Georgia, Orbán noted the country’s 7 percent economic growth, shrinking public debt, well-managed deficit, and a good outlook for the next year. “Everybody envies them, we do, too,” he added. He also said, however, that Georgia’s government, too, was on the receiving end of attacks from Brussels because it was pro-peace, did not want to be dragged into a war, stood up for the country’s sovereignty and was “proud to put its country first”.
Georgia’s sovereignty
“Hungary supports Georgia’s sovereignty not only in bilateral relations, but also on the European stage,” Orbán said. “We sympathise with their situation and we consider our guests, led by their prime minister, true patriotic heroes,” he added.
Orbán said he had pledged “all Hungary’s support” to Georgia’s European Union accession “regardless of Brussels’s opinion”.
Starting in September, 50 Georgian public officials will receive training in Hungary, while Hungary will also send a government expert to Georgia, Orbán said.
Wizz Air, energy
Touching on economic cooperation, the prime minister noted that Hungary’s Wizz Air was a market leader in Georgia, while he said bilateral trade turnover “has exceeded 100 million dollars for the first time, driven by Hungarian pharmaceutical products exported to Georgia.”
Concerning energy, Orbán said a five-country cooperation was aimed at importing green energy produced in the Caucasus. “We have good reason to keep energy cooperation on the agenda … as opposed to Ukraine, which shuts down energy routes, we build grids and connections, giving free way to economic activities,” Orbán said.
Answering a question, Orbán said that “what Ukraine is doing to us, especially on the energy front … goes against the daily economic interests of ten million people; they have raised demands against Hungary in Brussels which could result in the retail price of gas doubling or even becoming four times as expensive in Hungary.”