Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that problems in relations between Ukraine and Hungary have emerged primarily at the political level, while there is no fundamental conflict between Ukrainians and Hungarians. He made the remarks during the youth segment of the Carpathian Initiative.
Responding to a question from a participant from Hungary about the future of relations between the two countries, Zelensky said that Kyiv and Budapest have different views of Russia and its war against Ukraine.
“For us, Russia is an enemy, while for many politicians in Hungary… Russia may not exactly be a friend, but it is a partner,” the president said.
According to Zelensky, the problem lies not in relations between the Ukrainian and Hungarian peoples, but in the signals political leaders send to society.
“It’s not that there is a problem between people, between the nations themselves. The problem is what happens when a leader sends a signal,” he said.
The president also said that, in his view, efforts had been made in previous years to fuel hostility between Ukrainians and Hungarians.
“A lot of money was invested — forgive me, I don’t want to paint it too darkly — but they wanted to fuel hatred between people. And that is actually quite a serious problem,” Zelensky said.
He stressed that rebuilding relations between the two countries would depend significantly on the younger generation.
“You can break this bridge over a dozen years. Destroying it is much easier than building it. And that is why we are counting on your creative ideas, on your shoulders, because all of this will fall to you.”
According to the president, many people in Hungary continue to support Ukraine, just as many people in Ukraine respect Hungary.
“We need to build more bridges, not break them. I think that is better for all of us,” he added.
