Hungarian opposition leader Péter Magyar visits Kyiv, challenging Orbán’s stance

Despite criticizing Orban's approach, Magyar agrees that Hungary should not directly send arms to Ukraine.

Jul 11, 2024 - 07:53
Hungarian opposition leader Péter Magyar visits Kyiv, challenging Orbán’s stance

Peter Magyar, Hungarian opposition leader and Viktor Orbán’s rival, has arrived in Kyiv. Magyar paid tribute to fallen Ukrainian defenders at St. Michael’s Golden-Domed Monastery.  

“In Kyiv, at the memorial wall for tens of thousands of Ukrainian war victims,” he wrote on Facebook.

Peter Magyar, Hungarian opposition leader and Viktor Orbán’s rival, has arrived in Kyiv. Photo: Magyar via Facebook

Magyar’s visit follows his condemnation of Russia’s 8 July attack on Okhmatdyt Children’s Hospital in Kyiv. His Tisza party raised €38,000 and collected medical supplies for victims. This contrasts with Prime Minister Orbán’s recent “peace mission” to Kyiv, Moscow, and Beijing – Orbán’s first Ukraine visit since the 2022 Russian invasion.

Magyar, whose party won 30% in a recent European Parliament election, criticized Orbán’s delayed Kyiv visit. While agreeing Hungary shouldn’t directly send arms to Ukraine, Magyar supports other countries’ right to do so.

A Russian missile strike on Okhmatdyt Children’s Hospital killed two adults and injured ten children. A young boy in critical condition during the attack later died after being transferred to another hospital in Kyiv for emergency treatment. 

This attack was part of a larger assault claiming 44 lives across Ukraine, including 33 in Kyiv.

Read more:

You could close this page. Or you could join our community and help us produce more materials like this.  We keep our reporting open and accessible to everyone because we believe in the power of free information. This is why our small, cost-effective team depends on the support of readers like you to bring deliver timely news, quality analysis, and on-the-ground reports about Russia's war against Ukraine and Ukraine's struggle to build a democratic society. A little bit goes a long way: for as little as the cost of one cup of coffee a month, you can help build bridges between Ukraine and the rest of the world, plus become a co-creator and vote for topics we should cover next. Become a patron or see other ways to support. Become a Patron!