Hungarian Prime Minister Peter Magyar responded to comments by Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha, stressing that declaring Hungary a participant in the "Carpathian Eight" without Budapest's consent is unacceptable.
"I'm trying to help you here. Claiming that a sovereign state is a participant in an international initiative (Carpathian integration) without prior consultation or the state's own consent is completely unacceptable. Here's an example: 'Hi, we've formed a football team in the next village. We don't know each other, but you're on it, and you need to bring the ball,'" Magyar wrote on X.
Hungarian Foreign Minister Anita Orban also commented on the situation, stressing that the new Hungarian government has made numerous goodwill gestures toward Ukraine.
"Prime Minister Magyar made it clear that Hungary has not joined the C8 Initiative, which is a fact. Moreover, no international cooperation in the energy sector can take place without the Hungarian government's participation. Since taking office, the new Hungarian government has made numerous goodwill gestures toward Ukraine. So there's no comparison here to the obstructionist policy pursued by Viktor Orban," Orban wrote on X.
As previously reported, Hungarian Prime Minister Peter Magyar earlier said his country is not a member of the "Carpathian Eight" format, a Ukrainian-initiated framework aimed at strengthening cooperation among countries in the Carpathian region.
Magyar said Budapest had received an invitation from Ukraine to join the "Carpathian Eight" format but did not accept it, and had reasons for doing so. "We were invited, and we didn't go, for good reasons," Magyar said, stressing that Hungary "is not taking part in this." He did not explain the reasons for declining to participate in the format.
Later on Monday, Magyar also told the Hungarian parliament that no Ukrainian oil storage facility would be built in Hungary as long as the Tisza party's government remains in power.
Sybiha, for his part, said Ukraine is surprised by Magyar's baselessly confrontational statements. According to Sybiha, the Carpathian Integration Initiative aims to develop the entire region, promoting prosperity, connectivity and mutually beneficial projects across the eight Carpathian countries. The reasons for Hungary's categorical refusal remain unknown, the foreign minister said.
Ukraine's foreign minister also said the recent statements from Budapest leave Ukraine puzzled: "It seems that although Viktor Orban is gone, his policy of obstruction and isolationism continues to thrive."
According to Sybiha, "Orbanism has not benefited Hungary or the wider region in the past - and it won't benefit anyone going forward either."
At the same time, Sybiha stressed that Ukraine remains ready to develop relations with Hungary.
