Orban accused Ukrainian intelligence services of attempting to discredit Hungary and undermine its internal initiatives
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban made a surprising and sharp accusation against Ukrainian intelligence services, blaming them for attempting to discredit Hungary on the international stage and within the country. According to him, Ukrainian agencies have intensified efforts to sabotage a planned survey among the Hungarian population regarding Hungary’s future accession to the European Union, and overall, they are trying to "defame" Hungary’s image. Orban announced this scandal and the renewed escalation in bilateral relations during a meeting of the Hungarian Defense Council on May 13, describing the situation as "an unprecedented attack by security services against the state in recent days." He stated that Ukrainian intelligence agencies initiated a coordinated campaign to discredit Hungary, apparently aiming to undermine the country’s internal cohesion and to deepen negative perceptions within society. The Prime Minister noted that Kyiv supposedly restored high-level contacts in Hungary solely to carry out this information attack and has even launched an active campaign against Hungary’s Defense Forces, involving Hungarian politicians in their plans. According to Orban, this indicates that Ukrainian intelligence services and their agents are actively meddling in Hungary’s internal affairs, attempting to leverage local political forces to achieve their goals. In his view, representatives of opposition political forces have also taken part in this aggression; he claims they have actively participated in Ukrainian intelligence operations. For Orban, the reward for such activity is dragging the country into a dangerous political and informational conflict that harms Hungary’s interests. At the same time, Viktor Orban emphasizes that Hungary intends to complete its survey on Ukraine’s European integration and will not allow external forces to dictate their will or decide the fate of the Hungarian people on this matter. He states that "neither Brussels nor Kyiv have the right to decide for Hungary," and that Hungary will determine its future independently. It is known that tensions between Ukraine and Hungary escalated after Ukrainian intelligence claimed to have uncovered a spy network of Hungary’s military intelligence in Transcarpathia, allegedly involved in espionage and information gathering in the region. This prompted a sharp response from Budapest, which retaliated by expelling two Ukrainian diplomats accused of trying to gather intelligence and espionage. Additionally, Budapest detained a Ukrainian citizen, who had previously worked as a diplomat, and later deported him from the country. This led to a new wave of mutual accusations and diplomatic demarches: in response to Hungary’s actions, Ukraine announced the expulsion of two of its diplomats, intensifying the deterioration in bilateral relations. Reports also emerged of the detention in Budapest of a Ukrainian citizen, a former diplomat, who was eventually expelled from Hungary. All these events are part of the ongoing tension that has persisted for several weeks and has escalated into a full-scale diplomatic conflict, with the potential to widen further and influence regional developments. Orban voiced a firm stance regarding internal processes, emphasizing that the final decision on the EU integration surveys will be made by the Hungarian people and government, and no external influence can alter these plans. He also called for restraint and the pursuit of diplomatic solutions to the conflict, highlighting the importance of protecting national sovereignty and the country’s interests in this challenging period.