© SOPA Images
The battle of Mariupol in Ukraine – 26, 27, 28, 29 Mar 2022
BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP) — Hungary’s foreign minister has accused Ukraine’s leadership of attempting to interfere in the upcoming Hungarian election. His Ukrainian counterpart has denied the charge in an episode that put further strain on relations.
In a video on social media, Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto claimed that there was “ongoing coordination between the Hungarian left and representatives of the Ukrainian government,” and that Ukraine was attempting to influence Hungary’s April 3 election in favor of a coalition of opposition parties.
Szijjarto did not provide any evidence supporting the claim.
The statements came after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy made several recent comments that were harshly critical of the Hungarian government’s approach to the war.
On Wednesday, Szijjarto claimed that Ukraine’s foreign minister, Dmytro Kuleba, had contacted Ukraine’s ambassador in Budapest to discuss how Ukraine could influence Hungary’s election, in which Prime Minister Viktor Orban is seeking a fourth consecutive term.
But Kuleba told Ukrainian newspaper Evropeiska Pravda that “we have never interfered in Hungary’s internal affairs and especially not ahead of an election.”
—Copyright 2021 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
