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Polish PM Tusk slams Hungary’s Orban for praising Putin amid Ukraine attacks

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Polish PM Tusk slams Hungary’s Orban for praising Putin amid Ukraine attacks
Poland's Prime Minister Donald Tusk delivers a press statement together with Ukraine’s Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal after bilateral meetings at the Chancellery of Prime Minister on March 28, 2024 in Warsaw, Poland. (Omar Marques/Getty Images)

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk criticized Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban for calling Vladimir Putin Hungary's “honest partner” during Russia’s massive missile attacks on Ukraine on Christmas Day, according to a Dec. 26 statement on X.

Russia launched 78 missiles and 106 drones on Dec. 25, striking multiple Ukrainian cities. Kharkiv faced “massive fire” from ballistic missiles, injuring six, according to local authorities.

Tusk highlighted the contrast between Orban’s remarks and the reality of the attacks, saying, “On Christmas Eve, Russia launched a massive missile attack on Ukrainian cities. At the same time, in a Christmas interview, Prime Minister Orban called Putin an honest partner of the Hungarians.”

Orban’s remarks highlight Hungary's ongoing ties with Moscow despite Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Hungary has frequently opposed EU sanctions on Russia and blocked military aid to Ukraine.

On Dec. 16, Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry denounced Hungary’s "peacekeeping" rhetoric as manipulative, accusing Orban’s government of advocating for Ukraine’s surrender and obstructing international efforts to support Kyiv.

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Tim Zadorozhnyy

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Tim Zadorozhnyy is a reporter at the Kyiv Independent covering foreign policy, U.S.-Ukraine relations, and political developments across Europe and Russia. He studied International Relations and European Studies at Lazarski University and Coventry University. Tim began his journalism career in Odesa in 2022 as a reporter for a local television channel. He later spent a year and a half at the Belarusian independent media outlet NEXTA, first as a news anchor and later as a managing editor. He is fluent in English, Ukrainian, and Russian.

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