Latest news with #VálaszOnline
Qatar Tribune
2 days ago
- Politics
- Qatar Tribune
Zelensky calls Orbán's support for Russia a ‘historic mistake'
dpa Budapest Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has described the anti-Ukraine policies and messaging of right-wing populist Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán as an 'historic mistake.' In an interview with the Hungarian outlet Válasz Online published on Tuesday, Zelensky accused Orbán of using propaganda against Ukraine to seek a domestic political advantage. 'He is using Ukraine for his own electoral purposes,' the Ukrainian president said. 'He does not understand that this will have much more serious and dangerous consequences. By not helping us, he is doing [Russian President Vladimir] Putin a favour. That is why I said that Viktor is making a serious, historic mistake.' For weeks, Orbán's government has been running a billboard campaign against aid for Ukraine and opposing the country's accession to the European Union. The campaign's main message is that aid for Ukraine would drag Hungary into war and damage the economy.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Zelensky calls Orbán's support for Russia a 'historic mistake'
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has described the anti-Ukraine policies and messaging of right-wing populist Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán as an "historic mistake." In an interview with the Hungarian outlet Válasz Online published on Tuesday, Zelensky accused Orbán of using propaganda against Ukraine to seek a domestic political advantage. "He is using Ukraine for his own electoral purposes," the Ukrainian president said. "He does not understand that this will have much more serious and dangerous consequences. By not helping us, he is doing [Russian President Vladimir] Putin a favour. That is why I said that Viktor is making a serious, historic mistake." For weeks, Orbán's government has been running a billboard campaign against aid for Ukraine and opposing the country's accession to the European Union. The campaign's main message is that aid for Ukraine would drag Hungary into war and damage the economy. The signs also feature portraits of Zelensky. "How can he use my face for his own election? I did not give him permission to do that!" Zelensky said. Zelensky also recalled that in early May this year, the Ukrainian Security Service (SBU) arrested two Ukrainians of Hungarian ethnicity who are suspected of spying for the Hungarian military intelligence service KNBSZ. He said that further evidence had been found that has not yet been made public. In response, Hungary arrested a spy allegedly working for Ukraine who is also close to Hungarian opposition leader Péter Magyar. Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó rejected the criticism, while confirming that Ukraine policy would be a central issue in Hungary's 2026 parliamentary elections. Zelensky wants a "puppet government" in Hungary that sends money, soldiers, and weapons to Ukraine and "supports the war itself," Szijjártó said, according to the Hungarian state news agency MTI. "The 2026 parliamentary elections will be about whether there will be a war-supporting, Ukraine-friendly puppet government or a national government that supports peace and Hungary's distance from the war," he added. Hungary - an EU and NATO member state - is scheduled to hold parliamentary elections in early 2026. Orbán, who has been in power since 2010, is under pressure because Magyar's new conservative Tisza party is well ahead in the polls.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Zelensky says Orbán's support for Russia an 'historic mistake'
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has described the anti-Ukraine policies and messaging of right-wing populist Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán as an "historic mistake." In an interview with the Hungarian outlet Válasz Online published on Tuesday, Zelensky accused Orbán of using propaganda against Ukraine to seek a domestic political advantage. "He (Orbán) is using Ukraine for his own electoral purposes," the Ukrainian president aid. "He does not understand that this will have much more serious and dangerous consequences. By not helping us, he is doing (Russian President Vladimir) Putin a favour. That is why I said that Viktor is making a serious, historic mistake." For weeks, Orbán's government has been running a billboard campaign against aid for Ukraine and opposing the country's accession to the European Union. The campaign's main message is that aid for Ukraine would drag Hungary into war and damage the economy. The signs also feature portraits of Zelensky. "How can he use my face for his own election? I did not give him permission to do that!" Zelensky said. Zelensky also recalled that in early May this year, the Ukrainian Security Service (SBU) arrested two Ukrainians of Hungarian ethnicity who are suspected of spying for the Hungarian military intelligence service KNBSZ. He said that further evidence had been found that had not yet been made public. In response, Hungary arrested a spy allegedly working for Ukraine who is also close to Hungarian opposition leader Peter Magyar. Hungary's - an EU and NATO member state - is scheduled to hold parliamentary elections in early 2026. Orbán, who has been in power since 2010, is under pressure because Magyar's new conservative Tisza party is well ahead in the polls.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Ukraine mobilises 27,000 people monthly, Russia 40,000–50,000, says Zelenskyy
Ukraine can mobilise 27,000 people a month compared to Russia's 40,000–50,000, but weapons and technology are more critical than numbers, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated. Source: Zelenskyy in an interview with the Hungarian publication Válasz Online Quote: "Mobilisation is a problem in every war. Ukraine is no exception, as we want the war to end. People are getting tired. We can mobilise 27,000 people a month, while the Russians can mobilise 40,000 to 50,000 because their losses are greater. Mobilisation is possible in our country because of the state of war. No one else has any experience in how to stop Putin. We were the ones who stopped him." He added that Ukraine has not mobilised 18-to-24-year-olds but has instead offered them one-year contracts. "I have never spoken about this before, but since you asked, I will tell you what I think, because it is a sensitive issue: I do not believe that we should mobilise people from the age of 18, as the leaders of other countries have thought. Operation Spider's Web has shown that it is not the number of people that matters, but weapons and technology," Zelenskyy said. He added that sanctions should target Russian funds used to finance the war. However, Western partners cite the fact that Ukraine has not conducted conscription since 18 years of age as one of the reasons why they did not dare to impose sanctions. "To be honest, we gave 18- to 24-year-olds the opportunity to show that they can serve if our partners want them to. We have now given them that opportunity, in accordance with our legislation. But in the meantime, thousands are fighting on the front lines without adequate weapons," Zelenskyy said. Background: On 19 November 2024, then US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said that Ukraine had received a significant supply of various weapons from the US but continued to face challenges on the battlefield, and he attributed these difficulties to mobilisation issues. The media subsequently reported that the Biden administration was urging Ukraine to rapidly increase the size of its armed forces, including by revising its mobilisation legislation so that people can be drafted into the army from the age of 18. Media outlets reported that arguments over mobilisation rates and age in Ukraine have caused tension between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and then US President Joe Biden. On 19 December 2024, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, commenting on discussions about a potential lowering of the mobilisation age, said that it was more urgent to provide the army with weapons and training from the West. In November 2024 The New York Times reported that Russia had been continuing to endure heavy losses in its war of aggression against Ukraine, with October recording the highest number of casualties since the full-scale invasion began. However, the Russian army is far from exhausted. In the first half of 2024, Russia managed to mobilise approximately 900 recruits per day. In January 2025, Mike Waltz, Donald Trump's then incoming National Security Adviser, believed that Ukraine should lower the draft age in order to bring in hundreds of thousands of new troops and stabilise the front line. Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon!
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Zelenskyy: Orbán uses topic of Ukraine and my face for his election, I did not allow it
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said that Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán is using the topic of Russia's war against Ukraine to his advantage before the parliamentary elections. Source: Zelenskyy in an interview with the Hungarian publication Válasz Online Details: Zelenskyy said that the policy promoted by Orbán is anti-Ukrainian. Meanwhile, the Ukrainian president is convinced that this policy does not reflect the position of Hungarian society as a whole. Read also: Orbán seeks "war" between Hungary and Ukraine: why, and what are the dangers? "His policy is, unfortunately, anti-Ukrainian. And anti-European. He is using this in his domestic policy: he wants to turn the war in Ukraine to his own advantage in the elections. That is dishonest," Zelenskyy said. Zelenskyy added that Orbán is making a "historic mistake" and does not understand that his policy "will have much more serious and dangerous consequences: the radicalisation of Hungarian society and its anti-Ukrainian sentiment". "I cannot smile and give hugs when I see what is really going on. Because reality does not have to be different from politics. If he is ready for a proper relationship, we will find a framework for it. But how can he use my face for his own election? I did not give him permission to do that! I am the president of another country," Zelenskyy said. Background: Recently, Orbán has openly stated that he intends to make every effort to prevent Ukraine's accession to the European Union, owing to the challenges it may pose to Hungarian interests. Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon!
