Hungarian President Tamas Sulyok has removed the word “Russian” from a statement he issued offering condolences to the victims of an overnight strike in Ukraine that included hundreds of drones and missiles.
“I express my deepest sympathy to those injured in the Russian missile attack on Munkachevo, and I wish them a speedy and full recovery,” Sulyok said in his original statement posted to Facebook on August 21.
The post was taken down shortly after it went up, only to be replaced by a nearly identical statement with the word “Russian” (“orosz” in Hungarian) removed from the first sentence.
The difference can be clearly seen on screengrabs made RFE/RL’s Hungarian Service.
Munkachevo is a town of some 85,000 people in western Ukraine that’s home to a large ethnic Hungarian community and is roughly 30 kilometers from Ukraine’s border with Hungary.
The missile strike was part of a wave of hundreds that hit targets across Ukraine overnight on August 21.
The President of Hungary’s office did not respond to RFE/RL’s request for comment about the revised post.
The episode highlights the Hungarian government’s reluctance to criticize Moscow over its full-scale invasion of Ukraine and the strained ties between Budapest and Kyiv.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban and his Fidesz party have maintained close ties with Moscow and have frustrated European Union efforts to support Ukraine in the war with Russia. Hungary has also impeded accession talks for Kyiv to join the EU.
Budapest, the Hungarian capital, is also reportedly under consideration as the host city for a potential trilateral summit mediated by the United States with Russia and Ukraine that could take place in the coming weeks.
Politico reported this week that the US Secret Service was preparing for the summit in Hungary, with Budapest being US President Donald Trump’s first choice for host city.
This was followed by Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto offering Budapest as a possible venue for such a meeting.
“If we are needed, we are ready to provide appropriately fair and safe conditions for such peace negotiations. We are pleased if we can contribute to the success of peace efforts,” he said on August 21 in a daily podcast hosted by government members.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has stated his willingness to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin in “any format” but has not mentioned Hungary’s offer and instead suggested Switzerland, Austria, or Turkey as possible venues for peace talks.
