Hungary’s Viktor Orbán accused Ukrainians of threatening attacks on his family amid a growing standoff between Budapest and Kyiv.
In a video posted Wednesday night, Orbán appeared emotional while speaking to his daughters by phone: “I’m sure you’ll see on the news that the Ukrainians have threatened not only me but you as well… My kids and my grandkids … We have to take this seriously but we must not be scared.”
The claims follow comments by retired Ukrainian politician Hrihoriy Omelchenko, suggesting vigilantes could target Orbán if he did not change his anti-Ukraine stance.
The dispute intensified after Ukraine announced it would take several weeks to repair a Russian oil pipeline transporting fuel to Hungary, reportedly damaged in a Russian drone strike.
In response, Orbán vetoed additional EU sanctions on Russia and blocked a €90bn loan for Ukraine. The move has been interpreted as an attempt to position himself as Hungary’s peace candidate ahead of the elections.
Last Friday, Hungarian anti-terrorism police impounded a convoy of two armored cars belonging to Ukraine’s state savings bank, Oschadbank, along with seven Ukrainians transporting cash and 9kg of gold from Vienna to Kyiv.
Hungarian authorities suggested the shipment might involve laundering, while Ukraine described it as a standard government cash transfer. The seven men were held incommunicado for over 24 hours before being deported, with the cash and gold remaining in Hungary.
Lawyer Lóránt Horváth said one detainee with diabetes was hospitalized during interrogation, transported blindfolded in handcuffs. Ukraine’s foreign ministry stated that psychological and physical pressure had been exerted on the detainees.
Ukrainian officials accused Hungary of attempting to coerce a confession video, calling the actions “state terrorism.” Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó dismissed the accusations, questioning Ukraine’s handling of the money transfer.
Orbán is trailing challenger Péter Magyar by up to 20 points in polls ahead of the 12 April parliamentary election. Analysts say he is leveraging the anti-Ukraine narrative and crisis with Kyiv for political gain.
Reports indicate a Kremlin-aligned thinktank has planned a disinformation campaign to boost Orbán’s re-election prospects. Orbán has emphasized his pro-neutral stance toward Moscow, contrasting it with Magyar, whom he claims would side with Ukraine in the conflict.
Speaking at a rally in Vecsés, Orbán framed the choice in Hungary as a personal decision for stability: “Is Zelensky forming a government, or am I? And if we only have these two options, I suggest myself,” highlighting his campaign strategy to appeal to voters wary of deepening the war.
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