Russia

Orbán: It is impossible to imagine that Russia would be defeated

Putin Orbán Russia corruption hungarian

Ever since the outbreak of the war in Ukraine, Hungary’s position has been that there would be no winners, and that Russia could not be defeated, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said on Friday.

Orbán told public radio that Western contemplations about victory or defeat were actually a false dichotomy of the war.

He said Russia was hitting a wall because NATO was supplying Ukraine with weapons and money, and it only depended on Westerners and the Americans how much they would be willing to spend on the war. On the other side is Russia, a country with a population of 140 million, which is much larger than Ukraine and has the world’s largest nuclear arsenal, Orbán said.

“It is impossible to imagine that someone would be able to defeat a country with such nuclear power and Russia will not sit idly by, waiting to be defeated, it will not accept a military defeat,” he added. He said that one must be glad that “there is no war here” and that “we are strong enough to prevent getting dragged into the war”.

Meanwhile, the prime minister said the United States was running a pro-war campaign on Hungary’s territory. “That’s a story in and of itself, that another country can run a propaganda campaign in our country for an armed conflict,” he said.

But despite their efforts to drag Hungary into the conflict, “we won’t take part in this war,” Orbán said. “This is not our war, and we will do everything we can to make sure there is a ceasefire as soon as possible and that peace talks get under way, because there’s no other way to save tens or hundreds of thousands of lives.”

Orbán said tough weeks were ahead regarding the war. Ukraine’s expected counteroffensive is its last big chance, after which the situation will become clearer, and it will become obvious to many what kind of military options are left in the war, he said.

Orbán said the clearer situation after the offensive would open the door to more diplomatic action. The prime minister emphasised that “there are always various interests that latch onto a war,” whether it be arms deals, speculators or smugglers for whom such a conflict was a “gold mine”.

He said there were Western business circles, “with perhaps [US financier] George Soros at the forefront”, which had “always dreamed about somehow stepping into Ukraine — which they’ve successfully done — and gain access to Russia’s natural resources”.

Many want peace in Europe, but current politics and the US influence leaves no room for the voice of peace, Orbán said, adding that the entire liberal media was “pro-war”.

He said the Vatican was committed to using its strength, relations and influence to try to put an end to the bloodshed, “on which it is counting on us”. It must gather the players where the voice of peace is stronger and who are prepared to represent that on the international stage, he added.

Hungary clearly stands for peace, the prime minister said.

As regards Pope Francis’s apostolic visit to Hungary last weekend, Orbán said the country had been in a different state during those three days, with political disputes and hostility taking a back seat to the pontiff’s visit.

Meanwhile, Orbán said Hungary’s interests lay in a well-functioning and successful Ukraine, and the ethnic Hungarians living there made Hungary even more motivated to wish for peace. Hungary has a priority interest in peace because Ukraine is a neighbouring country, he noted.

“We have a vested interest in a well-functioning and successful Ukraine which also increases Hungary’s value,” Orbán said “A Ukraine in trouble, ravaged by war, posing risks and losing the lives of its citizens by the hundreds of thousands also reduces Hungary’s appeal,” he added.

Additionally, part of Ukraine is “ancient Hungarian land which currently belongs to Ukraine” and the ethnic Hungarians live as an indigenous community there, he said. The suffering of Ukraine is also the suffering of the ethnic Hungarians living there, he added.

As a result, Hungarians are all the more motivated, more than any other nation in Europe, to wish for peace, and are seeking ways to contribute to peace, he said. Hungary will not reject any peace mission, he added.

Concerning disputes around Ukrainian grain, Orbán said that if central Europeans unite they can reach their goals in Brussels as well. Hungary believed the European Commission when it said the Ukrainian grain would be shipped to Africa, but that was not what happened, he said. Speculators brought the grain into central Europe, where they sold it, driving down prices and “ruining” Polish, Hungarian, Romanian and Bulgarian farmers’ chances, Orbán said. The commission was fully aware of this but did nothing, he added.

“The commission has deceived us and abused its power so many times that we really should have known that this is what it would come to again,” Orbán said.

Poland became the central European country to spearhead this issue, and Hungary joined it, the prime minister said. The two countries got Brussels to put an end to this practice, and if Brussels refuses to act, Hungary will exercise its national competences to keep these products out of the country, he added.

Orbán said that though Brussels has pledged a 100 million euro emergency support package for farmers, he believed Hungary would receive no share of it. “The lesson here is to always stand up for your own interests,” he said.

Ukraine: Hungarian OTP Bank is a ‘war sponsor’

OTP Bank Hungary megabank

The Ukrainian National Anti-Corruption Agency (NAZK) has placed the Hungarian OTP Bank Group on its list of “international war sponsors”. The reason is that the Hungarian bank is still cooperating with the aggressor, Russia.

The OTP Group also confirmed the classification. The stressed that the OTP Group operates in compliance with all international sanction measures and local legal requirements in all its markets, including Russia.

The NAZK justified its decision on the grounds that the Hungarian bank continues to operate in Russia, napi.hu reports. According to the agency, the bank is acting under the provisions of a lending law that is subject to the Russian authorities of Donetsk and Luhansk provinces.

According to the NAZK, OTP provides loans to members of the Russian army on “favourable terms”, including the possibility of deferring payment when repaying loans.

The Ukrainian national bank had earlier demanded that the OTP Group, which has a stake in Ukraine worth around USD 507 million, leave the Russian market.

“The OTP Group operates in compliance with all international sanctions and local laws in all its markets, including Russia,” MTI quoted the head of communications of OTP Bank as saying.

Is Hungary turning its back on Russia?

putin orbán Will the Budapest meeting of eurozone finance ministers be boycotted?

Hungary is dependent on Russian gas but is trying to turn its back on Russia, says a political expert.

On 26 April, the UN member states voted in favour of a resolution officially declaring Russia an aggressor in the war in Ukraine. The decision was backed by 122 countries, including China, India and Hungary, among others, who had previously been Russia’s strategic partners.

Georgij Birkadze, a Georgian political and economic expert living in Ukraine, says this could be a turning point for Hungary. “So far Hungary was the only country in the European Union that supported Russia, but now they also voted for the UN resolution. Do you think they are beginning to understand that Russia is finished?” said Birkadze.

The expert believes that this could also contribute to Hungary’s EU bargaining policy. Index.hu writes that the stakes are high, as EU funds are vital for Hungary’s economy.

But now, the expert says, the debate is political rather than technical. Bloomberg reported earlier that the Hungarian parliament passed a law aimed at reducing the politicisation of the courts. This could help Hungary draw down EUR 13 billion in funding.

 

US ambassador Pressman visits Hungary-Ukraine border

david pressman us ambassador

US Ambassador David Pressman paid a visit to Hungary’s northeast border region with Ukraine as part of a “two-day security-focused trip” across the country, the US embassy said in a statement on Wednesday.

The ambassador met Ukrainian refugees currently housed in a shelter in Mariapocs, according to the statement.

Speaking to reporters after private conversations with the residents of the shelter, Pressman said Russia’s continued attacks were “appalling but not surprising”.

“Russia continues to intentionally target and kill civilians,” the ambassador said.

“The United States wants peace in Ukraine. The United States wants this war to end. The man who can end this war today is Vladimir Putin.”

Pressman vowed that the US would “continue to stand resolutely and unequivocally with the victims of Putin’s war”.

The ambassador later travelled to Mátészalka and then Beregsurány, where he met the village’s mayor, István Herka, before visiting the Hungarian Charity Service of the Order of Malta to get an understanding of the efforts being made for refugees fleeing Ukraine.

“It is inspiring to see the work of civil society organizations supporting their neighbors fleeing the devastation in Ukraine,” he said.

Pressman also paid a visit to the Hungary-Ukraine border crossing at Beregsurány where he met border officials to get an understanding of their experiences with refugees.

“As a frontline of NATO and the European Union, Hungary’s facilitation of safe, humane travel for refugees escaping the tragedies and injustices brought about by the Kremlin is essential to the security of our European Allies,”

the ambassador said.

The statement quoted Pressman as saying that “while others may try to distract from the very real threats to our shared security caused by Russia’s war, the United States will continue to support Ukraine’s ability to defend its people, its sovereignty, and its independence.” He said visiting the border region was “an important reminder that Russia’s brutal war continues just over the border and can only end when Vladimir Putin commits to a just and lasting peace for the people of Ukraine”.

“The United States and our Allies’ enduring and unequivocal support remains key to securing that just and lasting peace,” he said.

As we wrote today, the Hungarian National Information Center made its verdict on the truth of the statements and allegations about the potential wiretapping of Hungarian politicians in the leaked Pentagon Papers, details HERE.

MEP Gyöngyösi: What constitutes a crime in the West is part of the system in Russia

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MEP Márton Gyöngyösi’s (Non-attached) thoughts via press release:

Being a conservative means that you have a critical view of the world and try to understand events based on a common sense approach.

That’s why I’m so surprised to see self-proclaimed conservatives trying to justify the Russian army’s brutal war crimes by suggesting that the United States has also started unjust wars before.

Well, let’s look at the differences, then!

Yes, throughout its history, the United States of America indeed started many wars that could hardly be considered justified. And yes, American decision makers and soldiers have committed serious crimes.

However, the reason why we know about these crimes is the information coming from the US itself, because they have independent media, jurisdiction, political opposition and civil society.

As a result, every unjustified war and every war crime has always had its consequences in America.

During the Korean war, the war hero general who became a “loose cannon” was dismissed because he failed to follow orders. During the Vietnam war, the political leadership was forced to stop the war and take the political responsibility as a result of the public protests. During the Iraq war, the American soldiers who committed atrocities were sentenced to prison. America still conducts a free and intense public debate about these events to this day. Dozens of books and films discuss these issues to serve as a warning: the law applies to everyone, politicians and soldiers alike. And if you commit a war crime, you will be held to account. Justice will be served to the victims by the American public and the American laws.

Let’s look at what happened in Russia at the same time!

Although Russia was just as busy waging wars (in Afghanistan, Chechnya and several other post-Soviet countries, remember?), we can hardly hear of them, because Russia has no independent media, independent jurisdiction, political opposition or empowered citizens.

No one was ever held responsible for any war or war crime in Russia. 

In fact, Moscow still denies, despite the overwhelming evidence, that thousands of Polish officers were massacred in Katyń. In Russia, it is forbidden by law to talk about the barbaric acts of the Red Army as its soldiers marched across Central Europe, murdering, pillaging and raping their way through in World War II. On the contrary: all Russians are obliged to glorify their actions. When it comes to the current war in Ukraine, the mass atrocities committed by Russia are not reported by the Russian media. The only reason we know about them is because we have the accounts of escaped or captured soldiers and information from wiretapped conversations. That’s the only reason why the western world is aware that Russia deploys hardened criminals to the front with orders to destroy everyone and everything in their way. Meanwhile, Russia refuses to even admit there’s a war going on. Criminals are celebrated as heroes, their brutality is presented as an example.

America is not innocent, but it learns from its mistakes and holds its citizens to account if they overstep the bounds of the law. In Russia, brutality is not an overstep, it’s been a part of the system for centuries.

In America, it’s shameful to wage an unjustified war, it’s shameful to commit war crimes. Perpetrators are despised by the public and punished by law.

In Russia, raping women, shooting children in the head, looting and pillaging on orders is the pinnacle of patriotism, presented by Russian leaders as an example for the society.

That’s the difference between the two systems, and that’s why all morally sound conservatives must stand by the West today.

If you don’t believe me, ask your grandparents. Who were they waiting for in 1944-45? The Russians or the Americans?

Disclaimer: the sole liability for the opinions stated rests with the author(s). These opinions do not necessarily reflect the official position of the European Parliament.

Pope Francis talks about a secretive peace mission in Ukraine after his visit to Hungary

pope francis hungary budapest

The Vatican is taking part in a peace mission to Ukraine to end the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, Pope Francis said in an interview on Sunday evening on a papal plane en route to Rome after a three-day visit to Hungary.

Peace mission in Ukraine

“I am ready to do whatever is necessary. A mission is underway, but it is not yet public. When it is, I will reveal it,” the Catholic Church leader said, without giving further details of those efforts.

“I believe that peace can only be made by opening channels. Peace can never be achieved through isolation,” the Pope said.

He said he had discussed the situation in Ukraine with Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and Metropolitan Hilarion, the governor of the Russian Orthodox Church’s Budapest-Hungary diocese.

“At the meetings we did not just talk about Red Riding Hood and the wolf. We discussed all these things. Everyone is interested in the path to peace,”

Pope Francis stressed.

Kiev and Moscow

Since the beginning of the Russian aggression in Ukraine last February, Vatican has called for peace on an almost weekly basis and has repeatedly expressed his willingness to act as a mediator between Kiev and Moscow.

Ukrainian Prime Minister Denis Shmihal discussed peace efforts, the humanitarian situation and the churches in Ukraine with Pope Francis at the Vatican on Thursday. Smihal also invited the Catholic Church leader to visit the Ukrainian capital.

Pope Francis, 86, has already spoken of visiting Kiev and Moscow as part of a peace mission.

Read all the news about the Pope’s visit to Hungary here.

Famous Hungarian called Ukrainians fascists

András Bencsik Hungarian journalist peace march

Russia Today interviewed András Bencsik, the editor-in-chief of Magyar Demokrata (Hungarian Democrat, a government-close weekly), about the ongoing war in Ukraine. Mr Bencsik called the Ukrainians “real fascists”.

According to 444.hu, the editor-in-chief of the government-close Demokrata slammed Ukraine in a 26-minute-long report of Russia Today (RT). The movie aims to criticise the anti-Russia sanctions and slam the EU’s foreign policies, but it does not mention that Russia attacked Ukraine. Since the Kremlin uses Russia Today for direct Russian propaganda, the EU limited access to the Russian news outlet, but 444.hu could watch the film.

RT sent a team to Hungary to ask “public opinion” about the EU sanctions. A businessman with Russian origins said that the sanctions harm the EU and Hungary. As a reply, the RT report summed up that the steps of the Hungarian government could be regarded as pro-Russia. But, in reality, they are only rational.

András Bencsik: Ukrainians are fascists

Former Hungarian ambassador to Moscow, Árpád Székely, praised the Paks nuclear power plant extension project done by Rosatom. András Bencsik, one of the most well-known public figures of the government-close media, talked in Russian and said Ukrainians are real fascists because unlawfulness rules the country. He added that neither the government nor the state is functioning. Before, Mr Bencsik openly said he supported the Russians in the war.

András Bencsik talks about the peace treaties of the 20th century resulting in losing millions of Hungarians and almost 230,000 square kilometres of territory. RT’s film mentions that several Hungarians believe Hungary should take back the lands they once lost to the neighbouring countries. RT did not mention, but we wrote HERE about former Russian president Dmitry Medvedev’s July message. The deputy head of the Russian Security Council said then that, provided Russia won, Hungary could claim back Transcarpathia, the Western Ukrainian region that once belonged to the Kingdom of Hungary.

After the spy bank, another mysterious Russian organisation appeared in Budapest

Putin Orbán Russia corruption hungarian

In the fifth district of the Hungarian capital, a Russian institute, IRIAS, has emerged. The organisation enjoys special privileges just like the Russian spy bank.

Another privileged Russian institute

The International Investment Bank moves its headquarters from Budapest to Russia. This follows Hungary’s withdrawal from the organisation, known as the spy bank, which enjoys diplomatic immunity, as the United States of America imposed sanctions on the institution’s leaders.

But now another institute with a Russian background has come to Budapest. The Russian IRIAS organisation was registered in Hungary after the war in Ukraine broke out. Its headquarters are on the first floor of a multi-storey apartment building. The lower floor of the building sells food products, run by Igor Kaplan, who once did military service in Hungary.

The Hungarian managing director of IRIAS, Bernadett Deák from Debrecen, did reply to the inquiries of 24.hu. Public company records reveal little information. Its main profile is given as “other community and social activities not elsewhere classified”. Other activities include publishing and news agency activities, technical research and development, beverage service and fuel wholesaling.

Not only is it unknown what the organisation does, but also who finances its operations in Hungary, rtl.hu reports. This is particularly important because the flow of money between Russian banks and the EU has been made virtually impossible by the sanctions.

The IRIAS past

IRIAS was established in 1976 by the socialist bloc countries, including Hungary, Bulgaria, Cuba, Poland, the Soviet Union and Czechoslovakia.

The organisation enjoys privileges under an agreement signed in 1980. For this reason, the organisation and its documents are inviolable. Its assets are immune from any administrative or judicial interference. In addition, the premises of IRIAS are exempt from national and local taxes and duties, and the Institute is exempt from customs duties and export-import restrictions for official use.

This gives IRIAS privileges similar to those of the Russian spy bank, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development or the International Monetary Fund.

According to the website of the Moscow-based organisation, IRIAS is active. Five of the founding countries are still members – Russia, Hungary, Bulgaria, Cuba and Mongolia.

Zelensky’s adviser: after Moscow’s defeat, Hungary will pledge allegiance to Ukraine

Mykhailo Podolyak ukraine

Dóra Dúró, Vice President of the radical opposition party Our Homeland/Mi Hazánk, said that “Ukraine’s accession to NATO without the risk of a full-scale conflict can only be possible if Russia approves this step”. These words have caused a huge outcry in Ukraine. However, according to Mikhail Podolyak, adviser to Volodymyr Zelensky, everything will change after Russia’s defeat. He believes that countries such as Hungary will show absolute loyalty to Kyiv.

Dóra Dúró’s controversial statements on Ukraine

In an interview with the Russian newspaper Izvestia, Dóra Dúró, Vice President of the Mi Hazánk Mozgalom (Our Homeland Movement), said that “Ukraine’s accession to NATO without the risk of a full-scale conflict can only be possible if Russia approves this step”.

Dóra Dúró also said in the interview that Hungary is not enthusiastic about seeing Ukraine as a member of the NATO. She said the main reason is the situation of Hungarians living in Transcarpathia. She added that Russia has previously indicated that one of the aims of the “special operation” was precisely to prevent Ukraine’s integration into NATO.

Nikolenko’s reaction

Oleg Nikolenko, spokesperson of the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry, reacted to Dóra Dúró’s statements on Monday afternoon, Index reports. He wrote on social media that Ukraine has the sovereign right to freely choose its security options.

In his post, he explains that they “do not need Russia’s permission to be part of the alliance”. However, it is dangerous when Hungarian politicians try to make the security of the Euro-Atlantic area dependent on Moscow’s whims. “There is no objective reason to prevent Ukraine from joining NATO. Ukraine’s membership will only strengthen the alliance and make it impossible for Russia to repeat its aggression in Europe in the future,” the spokesperson wrote.

Podolyak’s reaction

Mykhailo Podolyak, an adviser to Volodymyr Zelensky, could not let Dúró’s statements slide either.

“Why is Hungary commenting on the sovereignty of our country or our choice? What permission should we get from Russia? The only permission we should get from them is the dissolution of Russia,” Mr Podolyak said.

He also noted that Hungary can make any statement because after Russia loses the war, countries like Hungary will show absolute loyalty to Kyiv, Unian writes.

Minister: There is a one-dimensional picture of Hungarian opinion in Brussels

eu european union hungary flag priority areas

The political mainstream in Brussels has a “one-dimensional and simplistic view” of Hungary’s position on the war in Ukraine, Csaba Dömötör, a state secretary of the prime minister’s cabinet office, said in Brussels on Tuesday.

Hungary has condemned Russia’s military intervention in Ukraine from the start and provides all the help it can to the refugees fleeing Ukraine, Dömötör told MTI after attending a conference organised by the Brussels office of the Foundation for a Civic Hungary.

At the same time, Hungary opposes steps that would escalate the war, he said, noting that the country does not support weapons deliveries to Ukraine.

“We are also sceptical of sanctions against Russia that primarily place great burdens on European citizens,” Dömötör added.

Though the political mainstream in Brussels insists that Hungary is isolated in its position on the war, surveys across Europe indicate that the majority of European citizens share the Hungarian government’s views, Dömötör said.

European citizens, for example, do not believe that a complete ban on energy imports would be a viable solution, because they are seeing that they are primarily the ones who have to pay the price of such a measure, he said. Also, most people in the central and eastern European region do not support weapons deliveries to Ukraine, he added.

The Hungarian government is not alone in the position it represents, but “Brussels bureaucrats” have failed to ask their own citizens what they thought about these important issues, he said.

The Hungarian government, on the other hand, regularly seeks the opinion of Hungarian citizens, Dömötör said, adding that the outcome of last year’s general election also showed that Hungarians wanted peace.

Putin’s ally would give western Ukraine to Hungary

dmitri_medvedev Russia Orbán

“The partition of Ukraine would be a better solution than the country’s entry into NATO, which would surely lead to a world war,” former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev is quoted as saying by the Russian news agency TASS.

The Vice-Chairman of the Russian National Security Council Dmitry Medvedev gave a speech at an event called “Knowledge Marathon”. Among other things, he voiced the view that he believes that Ukraine‘s admission to NATO would lead to world war, according to the Russian state news agency TASS.

He said that for more than a decade, Ukraine’s neighbours Poland, Hungary and Romania “have been longing to absorb Ukraine’s western region”. He says Poland’s leaders are also in talks with Kyiv to create a “confederation”, which Medvedev says is “not far from the union that once existed” between the two countries. Medvedev was probably referring to the Polish-Lithuanian union, of which the western part of present-day Ukraine was a part, Portfolio explains.

Medvedev says Ukrainians don’t want to be part of Poland because they were “treated like slaves” by Poles in the past and “today they treat Ukrainian refugees no better.”

Despite all this, Medvedev believes that the break-up of Ukraine “would still be a better outcome than a world war”, led by the country’s admission to NATO.

As is known, Russia officially claims five regions of Ukraine: it formally annexed Crimea back in 2014, as well as Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk and Zaporizhzhya oblasts, despite not fully controlling the latter four, Portfolio recalls. Medvedev says Russia is likely to lay claim to the entire Trans-Dnieper region of Ukraine.

MEP Gyöngyösi: How Orbán relates to war crimes

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MEP Márton Gyöngyösi’s (Non-attached) thoughts via press release:

The International Criminal Court has recently issued an arrest warrant against Russian President Vladimir Putin on account of the mass deportation of Ukrainian children. According to international law, the case of genocide may apply even without the commission of actual murders – if somebody commits acts that render the survival of a certain population impossible. Such acts include the unlawful deportation of children who are then raised in a different culture.

After listening to Viktor Orbán’s messages about how families and children represent the greatest value, casual observers may find it very odd that the Fidesz government fails to take a clear stance regarding the criminal acts committed by the Russian army. Viktor Orbán and his government would not prevent President Putin from freely visiting Hungary – he would not have to face arrest or even inconvenient questions.

While posing to the West as the guardian of the traditional family, Fidesz downplays the suffering of the Ukrainians and the kidnapping of their children, and suggests that Kyiv should surrender to the Russian aggressor and accept a peace treaty under Russia’s terms.

Ever since the Ukraine war broke out, Fidesz has been demonstrating this outrageously cynical attitude. Not only does this policy isolate Hungary from the world, it is morally indefensible, too.

I wonder how long it takes for the western right-wing politicians who seem to believe Orbán is the defender of families and traditional values to finally understand the real nature of the Fidesz regime.

Disclaimer: the sole liability for the opinions stated rests with the author(s). These opinions do not necessarily reflect the official position of the European Parliament.

Bulgarian MP: Russians use Hungary for money laundering

Putin Orbán Russia corruption hungarian

Deljan Dobrev, an MP of the Bulgarian centre-right GERB, said in an interview that Hungary is the target of high-value transactions via a Bulgarian bank. He has the same family name as Klára Dobrev, former PM Ferenc Gyurcsány’s wife. She is the shadow prime minister of the Democratic Coalition, Gyurcsány’s party. But probably the identical last name is just a coincidence though such allegations can be handy for the opposition. Dobrev is a common Bulgarian name, as e.g. Smith in the UK.

According to Mr Dobrev, Russian oligarchs conduct money laundering in a Bulgarian bank and send large amounts of cash to Hungary. The Bulgarian MP did not name the bank but said it is not Bulgarian. He did not reveal the persons or organisations taking part in the alleged money laundering scheme in Hungary.

Interestingly, there are 24 commercial banks in Bulgaria, most of them in foreign hands. The second biggest is DSK Bank, which is 99.92 percent owned by the Hungarian OTP Bank. They reacted immediately, clearing that they were not concerned about the money-laundering issue and follow strictly local and EU rules. The Bulgarian bank market has several other foreign stakeholders: Americans, Belgians, Estonians, French, Greek, Dutch, Irish, Japanese, Lichtenstein, German, Italian and Turkish.

The Bulgarian MP advocates for strict anti-corruption rules

The politician announced his party would submit a draft aiming to put an end to such money laundering schemes. They want the bank in question to halt such practices. Dobrev estimated that, in 2-3 weeks, their proposal will likely be accepted. That is because GERB, Mr Dobrev’s party, is a government coalition member.

Earlier, the International Investment Bank was concerned with NATO and EU allies. In 2018, the institution moved to Budapest, and its staff received diplomatic immunity from the parliament. As a result, the number of Russians doing espionage in or from Hungary could be raised since they could travel freely in the Schengen area, rtl.hu wrote.

The United States and other Western allies were concerned because of the IIB. On 12 April, David Pressman, the USA’s ambassador in Budapest, announced that they would sanction the three leaders of the bank, including a Hungarian national and the institution’s VP, Mr Imre Laszlóczki. The Hungarian government stated a day later that they would leave the IIB. As a result, the bank will move back to Russia soon.

Read also:

Hungarian oil import in danger? Poland proposes fresh EU sanctions against Russia

Oil and gas pipe Russian oil

Earlier this month Poland presented a proposal for a new range of sanctions against Russia. According to the new EU sanctions, shipments arriving via the Druzhba crude oil pipeline would also be affected. This could have a serious impact on Hungarian crude oil imports. 

Proposal for new EU sanctions against Russia

Poland’s newly designed proposal includes a ban on pipeline oil and diamond imports, reports Reuters. In addition, they would roll out restrictions against Rosatom. The written proposal, which a diplomatic source claimed was handed over to the EU’s executive European Commission, could determine further sanction negotiations between the 27 countries. In order to impose the new sanctions, every Member State must agree. This is not the first set of sanctions the EU introduced to immobilise Russia. The bloc has already launched ten rounds of punitive measures against Russia since Moscow fully invaded Ukraine in February 2022. Hungary has regularly vetoed the sanctions, therefore, the country is expected to object to them, again.

Warsaw’s proposal would cease Russian crude oil imports to Drus

If the Polish proposal goes through, no crude oil will arrive in Drus through the Druzhba crude oil pipeline. However, this sanction could also threaten Hungary’s crude oil imports. In theory, Hungarians can use their veto power in the case of the Friendship oil pipeline and if Hungarian shipments are affected, which have been exempted for the time being until 2024.

EU: an 11th sanctions package may arrive

EU leader Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission would introduce an 11th sanctions package. It would focus on combating the circumvention of existing restrictions, particularly on the export of parts and equipment used by Russia on the battlefield against Ukraine. Although it is forbidden to transport most technological devices from Western countries to Russia, neighboring countries – such as Georgia, Kazakhstan, and even Turkey acted as mediators in the deals. Therefore, this new sanction package would try to put an end to this.

Hungary opposes the sanctions imposed on Russian nuclear energy

Another highly debated topic is Russian nuclear energy. Both Germany and Lithuania support the nuclear energy sanctions and are ready to propose this package of measures to the EU. However, existing cooperation agreements would be exempted, so Hungary and France could continue trading with Russia as long as there is no new agreement in place, writes Portfolio. So far, Hungary has opposed the sanctions imposed on Russian nuclear energy. Last week, the country issued a statement that it had agreed to amend its contract with Russia’s Rosatom regarding the expansion of the Paks nuclear power plant.

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After Viktor Orbán, the majority also fears nuclear war – survey

explosion bomb

Fully 54 percent of Hungarians consider it “a real danger” that the Russia-Ukraine war could escalate into a third-world war and 55 percent think that one of the warring sides could deploy nuclear arms, according to a survey released by the Nézőpont Institute on Monday.

The Hungarian government’s communication seems to be working very well, as the government’s fear is reflected in society. Viktor Orbán and members of his government are constantly communicating that because the West is backing Ukraine, and therefore not allowing our eastern neighbour to collapse, they are escalating the war, which could turn into a third world war. But the government will further strengthen Russian business ties: Hungary reaches new agreements with Russia on energy supply

When the war broke out more than a year ago, many Hungarians believed that it would end soon, Nézőpont said.

Today, only 42 percent of Hungarians believe that there is no realistic threat of a world war and 41 percent sees no realistic threat of the deployment of nuclear arms either, the think-tank said.

Among those who fear a world war, 81 percent also fear the deployment of nuclear arms and only 16 percent think that a world war would be fought without such weapons.

Those who do not fear a global conflict (77 percent), mostly do not fear destruction caused by nuclear weapons either, while 21 percent consider the use of nuclear weapons in a local conflict to be conceivable even without the risk of a world war, Nézőpont said.

Nézőpont conducted its survey of 1,000 adults by phone between April 17 and 19.

Could all of Budapest be bugged by Russians?

Russian Spy eavesdropping wiretapping Budapest bugged intelligence

The Russian embassy in Budapest could have technical devices that allow them to eavesdrop on conversations via radio waves in a 30km large radius. Similar devices have been located in other countries as well.

Why do Russian embassies and diplomatic buildings have radio antennas on top of their roofs? According to the investigative journalist portal VSquare they are in fact specialised equipment for signals intelligence (SIGINT). In an international investigation, VSquare and other portals successfully identified 182 antennas on 39 buildings in Europe, not just in Hungary, but in Poland, Sweden, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Germany, Bulgaria, Romania, Greece and Portugal.

Alongside the antennas white booths or wooden sheds are also located in the buildings, which are housing other sophisticated surveillance devices. According to VSQuare, the one located on top of the Russian embassy building in Budapest is made of wood. Russians placed surveillance antennas on 3 different buildings in Budapest. They were spotted at the Russian embassy, the Rustrade trade representation site and the Russian Cultural Centre. According to former Hungarian security officers who were asked by VSquare, all three locations are well-known to Hungarian counterintelligence as nests of Russian espionage. “When there’s a protest nearby, Russians are capable of monitoring phone traffic and collecting the data and identifiers like IMEI numbers of nearby mobile phone devices,” a former counterintelligence officer told the site.

Read also: Government: Hungary will buy Russian oil in the future

Counterintelligence is prepared to act against Russian spying activities

Former counterintelligence officers said that the fact that Russians are placing surveillance devices on their rooftops is nothing new to local counterintelligence forces. However, they mention that Russians have been able to surveil radio wave activity within a radius of about 30 km from the Russian embassy located on Bajza Street in District VI. The embassy is located just a couple of streets from the governing Fidesz party’s main headquarters. This means that with their technology, they have the ability to eavesdrop on GSM mobile phone conversations in all of Budapest.

“You can’t really do anything (about it), it’s Russian territory. At most, turn off or leave the phone at home when you see that their rooftop looks like Baikonur” – a Hungarian counterintelligence officer told investigative journalist Szabolcs Panyi back in 2017 after local protests against Russian influence.

Interestingly, the article of VSquare came to light just days after it has been announced that new Israeli spyware was identified in use in Hungary.

Number of Russian diplomats increased in Hungary after the war began – but why?

Orbán Putin visit Russian cyber attacks

After Russia’s invasion of Ukraine began on 24 February 2022, European countries massively reduced the number of diplomats working at Russian embassies. Throughout the continent, about 400 of them were expelled under suspicions of conducting espionage for the Russian state. This means that the Russian diplomatic personnel residing in Europe was basically halved.

There are only two exemptions to this practice. One of them is Serbia, a long-time ally and friend of Russia. The other one is the EU and NATO member state of Hungary. From November 2021 to July 2022 the number of official Russian diplomats inside the country rose from 46 to 50. Until October, this grew to 59. This means the number of people working at the Russian Embassy increased by 1/3rd after the war began, writes Szabad Európa.

Diplomats or spies?

Since October, the number of Russian diplomatic personnel in Hungary has since decreased to that before the war. The question arises: for what reason was this temporary increase necessary? There are several alarming factors. For example, projects related to diplomatic work tend to last for years, not months, which makes the circumstances suspicious. In addition, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade refused to acknowledge these changes.

Benedek József Kiss security policy expert, ex-military intelligence officer told RTL last year that at Russian diplomatic bodies, the amount of people working as agents for the state’s intelligence offices is considerably high – around 60-70 percent. Fellow European experts estimated that agents disguised as diplomats at Russian Embassies make up about 1/3rd of the total personnel.

Role of the spy bank

After Hungary re-joined the International Investment Bank (IIB, more commonly known as the Russian spy bank), more possible Russian agents got the chance to reside in the country. Since the relocation of the bank’s headquarter to Budapest in 2019, Hungary became more at risk of infiltration.

At its maximum, the bank employed over 100 Russians, about whom we knew nothing about, only the fact that they enjoyed diplomatic immunity. This is all due to a special law created for this reason. These further fuel the suspicion of possible espionage.

In addition, since the sanctions on Russia were introduced, the IIB couldn’t really act as a bank anyway. Every investor country left its premises after the war began, expect for Hungary and Russia. When the USA introduced special economic sanctions against the bank and its leaders, the Hungarian government announced its withdrawal as well.

Right now, the number of Russians working in Hungary with diplomatic immunity is estimated to be around 100. This is much higher than in larger countries such as the UK (33), or at our partners in the region, like Slovakia (15) or Czechia (8).

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Here is what people think about the USA’s “pro-war” billboard campaign in Hungary

USA billboard campaign Russian go home

A vast majority of Hungarians favour boosting or maintaining Hungary’s current relations with the United States, but also find the billboard campaign supported by the US embassy unacceptable, according to a fresh survey by the Nézőpont Institute.

Billboard campaing unacceptable

Altogether 40 percent of the survey’s respondents said they wanted stronger ties between Hungary and the US, while 26 percent favoured maintaining the current level of bilateral relations, according to a summary of the survey’s findings published on Nézőpont’s website. This, however, does not necessarily mean that they agree with the Biden administration, the think-tank said, pointing out that 59 percent of respondents opposed the US embassy’s recently-launched billboard campaign. Nézőpont found that 38 percent of opposition voters said they found Washington’s campaign unacceptable.

The US embassy’s billboard campaign: the inscription says that there will only be peace if the Russian invaders leave Ukraine.

Hungarians want close ties with the USA

Fully 16 percent said they favoured looser ties between Hungary and the US. The survey found that 33 percent of those who support the prime minister and 50 percent of those critical of him wanted to strengthen relations with the US. Meanwhile, 29 percent of the prime minister’s supporters and 23 percent of his critics said they were satisfied with the current state of bilateral ties. Altogether 18 percent of government supporters and 8 percent of opposition sympathisers said Hungary should loosen relations with the US. While a majority of respondents said they were against the billboard campaign backed by the US embassy, 26 percent said they found it “somewhat acceptable”.

Among those who favour stronger ties with the US, there was an even split of perceptions of the campaign, with 43 percent saying they found it acceptable and the same percentage finding it unacceptable. Fully 68 percent of those who want to maintain the current level of relations opposed the campaign, while 25 percent found it acceptable. Altogether 88 percent of those who want to loosen bilateral ties had a negative view of the campaign, and just 8 percent said it was acceptable.

A total of 82 percent of the prime minister’s supporters found the embassy’s campaign unacceptable as against 10 percent of them who said it was acceptable. Altogether 45 percent of opposition supporters said they were in favour of the campaign, while 38 percent were critical of it. Nézőpont conducted its representative survey of 1,000 adults by phone from April 17 to 19.

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