Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky took a pointed swipe at Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán during remarks at the Munich Security Conference on Saturday, arguing that Ukraine’s resistance to Russia has enabled the rest of Europe to live in freedom.

Addressing an international audience of policymakers and defense officials, Zelensky said that Ukrainian forces fighting Russian troops are effectively safeguarding the continent’s stability. The Ukrainian leader, a former comedian, mixed sharp criticism with humor as he referenced Orbán’s stance toward Moscow.

“There can be a sovereign Moldova and a Romania without dictatorship and even one Victor can think about how to grow his belly, not how to grow his army to stop Russian tanks from returning to the streets of Budapest,” Zelensky said, in a remark widely interpreted as a jab at the Hungarian premier.

Zelensky followed the quip with a somber appeal, urging European leaders to recognize the human cost borne by Ukrainians since Russia’s invasion. “Look at the price. Look at the pain Ukraine has gone through, look at the suffering Ukraine has faced. It’s Ukrainians who are holding the European front,” he said.

Strained Kyiv–Budapest Ties

Relations between Kyiv and Budapest have grown increasingly tense. Orbán has repeatedly criticized Western military support for Ukraine and has maintained a comparatively conciliatory approach toward Moscow. In recent weeks, the Hungarian leader has intensified his rhetoric against Ukraine ahead of a closely contested parliamentary election expected in April.

Hungary’s position has also complicated Ukraine’s path toward European integration. Although Kyiv formally applied to join the European Union within days of Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022, accession talks have stalled, in part due to Budapest’s vetoes.

Unlike many other European Union member states, Hungary has also refrained from significantly diversifying its energy imports away from Russia since the start of the war, deepening political friction with Kyiv.

Zelensky’s comments in Munich underscored the widening political divide within Europe over how to approach the war, even as Ukraine continues to press for military, financial, and diplomatic backing from its Western partners. (ILKHA)