Speaking at the Munich Security Conference, Volodymyr Zelensky delivered a sharp rebuke to Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, calling into question his approach to defense and security. According to the Ukrainian president, Hungary’s leader should be thinking less about personal comfort and more about the country’s ability to withstand external threats. “Viktor can think about how to grow his belly rather than how to build up an army capable of stopping Russian tanks from rolling back onto the streets of Budapest,” Zelensky said.
The response from Budapest was swift. Viktor Orban reacted to Zelensky’s remarks on X, thanking him for “yet another campaign speech” in support of Ukraine’s bid to join the European Union and noting that, in his words, it helps Hungarian voters better understand what is at stake. At the same time, Orban stressed that the heart of the dispute, as he sees it, lies not in personal disagreements between leaders. “However, you misunderstand one thing: this debate is not about me or about you. It is about the future of Hungary, Ukraine, and Europe. That is precisely why you cannot become a member of the European Union,” the Hungarian prime minister wrote.