[Source/Observer Network Chen Sijia] According to a June 11 report by the Ukrainian "Kyiv Post," Ukrainian President Zelenskyy recently gave an interview to Hungarian media, accusing the Hungarian government of "coveting" the Transcarpathian region of Ukraine and stating that Hungarian military intelligence personnel have been conducting secret operations in the area. Zelenskyy also claimed that Hungarian Prime Minister Orban's unwillingness to support Ukraine was a "historic mistake."

Zelenskyy told the Hungarian conservative media "Valasz Online" that the Hungarian military intelligence agency has long been active in the Transcarpathian region of Ukraine, paying particular attention to local residents' views on the so-called "peacekeeping force." He claimed that in May this year, the Ukrainian Security Service (SBU) arrested two "spies working under the command of Hungarian intelligence officials" in the state.

Zelenskyy said: "We have obtained more photos and videos showing Hungarian National Security Bureau (KNBSZ) organizing meetings on Hungarian territory. We will release this information when necessary. I do not want to create threats, but we have everything, including documents showing how KNBSZ pays spies."

According to Zelenskyy's statement, Hungary has been building a spy network in the Transcarpathian region since 2021, with "military-related activities escalating from 2024 to 2025." The last exchange of intelligence between them occurred on March 25 this year.

Ukrainian President Zelenskyy Visual China

He accused Hungary of engaging in espionage and other covert actions in Ukraine's border regions, saying, "Why are they interested in knowing the deployment locations of our S-300 air defense missile systems? Because that is the information they are interested in. There are question lists on the spies' phones; among the 11 questions, they inquire about how residents of Transcarpathia would view the so-called Hungarian 'peacekeeping forces,' as well as the locations of our various military units."

Zelenskyy stated that he had asked NATO officials if they had requested Hungary to gather such intelligence, "They said no. I am the president of a wartime country—how would you react if you were in my position?" Zelenskyy emphasized that he does not believe Orban is responsible for KNBSZ's actions, but he believes KNBSZ should be held accountable for these "espionage activities."

However, in the interview, Zelenskyy also criticized Orban, accusing him of using the Ukrainian issue for election campaigning, which he said would lead to "the radicalization of Hungarian society and anti-Ukrainian sentiment." He claimed that Hungary's refusal to support Ukraine in the conflict is equivalent to "helping Russia," and thus, "I say Orban made a historic mistake."

Hungarian streets recently featured some controversial election posters, featuring portraits of Zelenskyy, European Commission President von der Leyen, and European People's Party Group Chairman Manfred Weber, with the slogan: "Decide whether Ukraine joins the EU in the 2025 vote. Don't let them decide for us!"

Hungarian street election posters Social Media

Regarding these posters, Zelenskyy said: "Using my face for elections? I disagree! I am the president of another country, and using my image in your domestic politics is wrong." He emphasized that if Orban is willing to establish "correct relations" with Ukraine, Ukraine is open to dialogue.

The Transcarpathian region is located in western Ukraine, bordering Hungary, Slovakia, Romania, and Poland. This area was originally part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire and a part of the Kingdom of Hungary. After World War I, it became part of Czechoslovakia, but was ceded to Hungary under Nazi Germany's coercion following the signing of the Munich Agreement. After World War II, the Transcarpathian region became part of the Soviet Union in 1945 and Ukraine after the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991.

The Transcarpathian region is located in the far west of Ukraine

The Economist magazine reported that according to the 2001 Ukrainian census data, the Transcarpathian region had approximately 150,000 ethnic Hungarians, accounting for about 12% of the total population of the region. However, a survey in 2017 showed that the number of ethnic Hungarians in the region had decreased to 130,000, with many residents holding Hungarian passports moving to EU countries.

On May 28, BBC reported that according to the latest estimates, the number of ethnic Hungarians in the Transcarpathian region has dropped to 70,000 to 80,000.

Regarding the ethnic Hungarian community in the Transcarpathian region, Hungary and Ukraine have had multiple disputes. El Pais noticed that in 2017, the Ukrainian government passed a law making Ukrainian the main language of the national education system. However, this move drew dissatisfaction from the Hungarian government, who accused the law of "eliminating" the identity of the ethnic Hungarian population in the Transcarpathian region.

In December 2023, under pressure from the Hungarian government, Ukraine passed a law restoring the language rights of all ethnic groups. Hungarian media Telex reported that according to this law, in minority schools in Ukraine where EU official languages are taught, in addition to Ukrainian, Hungarian and other languages can continue to be used, but Russian cannot.

Last January, Laszlo Toroczkai, leader of Hungary's far-right party "Our Homeland," stated at a meeting that he believed that if the Russia-Ukraine conflict continues, Ukraine may lose its status as a nation, and then he advocates claiming sovereignty over the Transcarpathian region of Ukraine.

Ukrainian Truth reported that the Hungarian government submitted 11 points of demands to Ukraine regarding the protection of minority rights last year, including the requirement for Ukraine to recognize the Transcarpathian region as "traditional Hungarian land."

Orban has repeatedly displayed maps of "Greater Hungary" in public, which depict the map before the Treaty of Trianon in 1920, including parts of present-day Slovakia, Romania, Austria, Croatia, Serbia, and Ukraine. The Daily Mail reported that in November 2022, Orban wore a scarf printed with a "Greater Hungary" map while watching a football match, drawing protest from the Ukrainian government.

Other neighboring countries of Hungary are also dissatisfied with the "Greater Hungary" map. Croatian President Zoran Milanovic criticized, "These maps are not modern and cannot be realized today. More importantly, they constantly anger our neighbors." Former Slovenian President Borut Pahor once warned that repeatedly displaying such maps could be understood as "expressing territorial claims."

However, Orban publicly expressed his support for Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity in December 2023.

According to the Hungarian National Newspaper, in response to Zelenskyy's criticism in the interview, Orban responded on social media on the 10th: "Zelenskyy opposes us because Hungarians do not want to die for Ukraine. We do not want our children sent to the front lines only to return in coffins. We do not want Hungarian money flowing to Ukraine."

Orban also delivered a speech at an event on the 9th, criticizing the EU for attempting to prolong the war, emphasizing that the Russia-Ukraine conflict cannot be resolved through military means. He pointed out: "Politicians supporting the war want us to believe that the war must continue. But I warn you, this war is unwinnable, there is no solution on the battlefield, only death, suffering, and destruction."

This article is an exclusive article by the Observer Network and cannot be reprinted without permission.

Original source: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7514623436245828105/

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