Hungary’s Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó didn’t mince words on Friday, accusing Kyiv of peddling anti-Hungarian narratives with “no basis whatsoever.” His remarks came just hours after Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) claimed it had apprehended two alleged spies supposedly working on behalf of Hungary.
The individuals, reportedly former members of Ukraine’s armed forces, were detained in the Transcarpathia region—a border area home to around 150,000 ethnic Hungarians. The SBU alleges the pair had been snooping on local attitudes and gathering information about possible reactions if Hungarian troops ever set foot in the region. But Budapest isn’t buying it.
Szijjártó dismissed the allegations, framing them as part of a broader disinformation campaign against Hungary. “These accusations pop up regularly,” he said, “but time and again, they crumble under scrutiny.”
This latest flare-up adds fuel to an already simmering feud. Relations between the two countries have been rocky since at least 2017, when Ukraine passed legislation curbing the use of minority languages—a move seen in Budapest as an attack on its ethnic kin. Ukrainian ultranationalist groups have also reportedly targeted Hungarian communities, further souring the mood.
Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the diplomatic divide has only deepened. While most of Europe rushed to back Ukraine with arms and aid, Hungary took a different route—pushing for peace talks and refusing to send military support. That stance hasn’t earned Hungary many fans in Kyiv.
Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, never one to shy away from confrontation, has been openly critical of the EU’s effort to fast-track Ukraine’s membership bid. Speaking on May 9th, Orbán warned that admitting Ukraine into the bloc would be nothing short of “economic suicide.”
Earlier this year, Budapest also accused Ukraine of orchestrating a campaign to discredit Orbán personally, claiming Kyiv aimed to tarnish his reputation abroad and weaken Hungary’s ability to defend its interests on the international stage.
As both sides trade barbs, hopes for diplomatic détente seem increasingly out of reach.
