Hungarian Aide Sparks Outrage with Comments on Soviet Invasion and Ukraine War

A close aide to Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has sparked outrage with comments suggesting that Hungary would have been better off not resisting the Soviet invasion in 1956, according to Reuters.

The aide, Baláš Orbán, made the comments in an interview with the Hungarian news site Mandiner, where he also criticized Ukraine’s efforts to push back Russian forces.

Orbán’s comments were met with swift condemnation, including from the Hungarian opposition leader, who described them as “treacherous”.

The anti-Soviet uprising in Hungary in 1956 was a pivotal moment in the country’s history, and its anniversary is still observed as a public holiday on October 23.

Prime Minister Orbán, who rose to fame in 1989 for demanding the withdrawal of Soviet troops from Hungary, distanced himself from his aide’s comments, calling them a “mistake”.

In a statement to Hungarian National Radio, Orbán emphasized the importance of speaking “very carefully and clearly” on sensitive issues like the 1956 revolution.

“Now my political director has made a vague statement which is a mistake because our society was founded on the 1956 revolution and grew out of it,”

said Orbán, who has made national sovereignty a cornerstone of his rule.

Orbán’s aide also sparked controversy with his comments on Ukraine, suggesting that President Volodymyr Zelensky acted irresponsibly in deciding to oppose the Russian invasion in February 2022.