News of War Staff Writer
Laszlo Toroczkai, leader of the far-right Our Home Movement political party, speaks during a protest against criminal attacks caused by youth, in Torokszentmiklos, Hungary, May 21, 2019. REUTERS/Bernadett Szabo
Hungarian Far-Right Party Eyes Ukrainian Territory Amidst Ongoing War
BUDAPEST - In a controversial declaration, the far-right Our Homeland party of Hungary has expressed intentions to claim a region in Ukraine, home to approximately 150,000 ethnic Hungarians, should Ukraine's sovereignty be compromised by Russia's ongoing military invasion. This contentious statement was made by Laszlo Toroczkai, the party's leader, during a late Saturday gathering.
At a conference hosting several far-right figures, including representatives from Germany's AfD and the Dutch Forum for Democracy, Toroczkai, who leads the Our Homeland party with six seats in Hungary's 199-member parliament, articulated the party's stance on the Ukraine conflict.
He emphasised the need for an immediate ceasefire and peace negotiations, alongside advocating for the autonomy of ethnic Hungarians in Ukraine's western region.
"If Ukraine's statehood is compromised as a result of the war, we, as the sole Hungarian party holding this view, would assert our claim to the Transcarpathia region," Toroczkai announced, receiving applause from attendees.
The Hungarian Foreign Ministry and the Ukrainian Embassy in Budapest have not yet responded to requests for comments on these remarks. In contrast, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, in a December radio interview, reasserted Hungary's support for Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity, as conveyed by government spokesman Zoltan Kovacs.
Upcoming discussions between Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto and Ukrainian officials in western Ukraine are set to lay the groundwork for a potential summit between the two nations' leaders. These talks come amidst ongoing disputes between Budapest and Kyiv over language rights restrictions alleged by Hungary against its ethnic Hungarian population in Ukraine.
Last month, Hungary stood alone in the European Union, refusing to initiate EU accession talks with Ukraine. Despite this, EU leaders managed to sidestep Prime Minister Orban's objection by excluding him from the decision-making process. However, Orban's opposition remains a hurdle in reallocating the EU budget to provide 50 billion euros in aid to Ukraine, a topic expected to be revisited at an emergency EU summit next Thursday.