Diplomatic tensions between Budapest and Kyiv: reciprocal ambassadorial summons over allegations of “election interference”

A new diplomatic dispute has emerged between Hungary and Ukraine in recent days after Viktor Orbán claimed that Ukraine is trying, in a “coordinated” manner, to influence Hungary’s parliamentary elections scheduled for 12 April 2026. The Hungarian government therefore contacted Ukraine’s ambassador in Budapest, to which Kyiv responded by summoning Hungary’s ambassador to Ukraine.

The government suspects an attempt to influence the election

In a video message posted on social media, the Hungarian prime minister said that Ukrainian political leaders had made “insulting and threatening” statements about Hungary and the Hungarian government. Orbán said a coordinated Ukrainian attack had been launched against Hungary, the aim of which was to interfere in the elections. At the same time, according to international reporting, the prime minister did not cite any specific statements he objected to, nor did he provide evidence.

Hungary’s foreign ministry step: summoning Ukraine’s ambassador in Budapest

Following the prime minister’s announcement, Hungary’s foreign ministry also publicly confirmed that it had summoned Ukraine’s ambassador in Budapest. According to Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó, Hungary will not tolerate any attempt to influence the electoral process; he also claimed that Kyiv intends to intervene in Hungary’s domestic political processes, presumably in favor of the Tisza Party. According to international sources, no publicly presented evidence was provided by the Hungarian side for these claims; however, the statements appeared as assertions of fact in government communications.

Kyiv’s response: summoning Hungary’s ambassador

Reacting to the Hungarian move, Ukraine’s foreign ministry announced that it had summoned Ambassador Antal Helzer, who expressed protest over the Hungarian accusations. According to Kyiv, Ukraine firmly rejects having any role in Hungary’s election campaign, and says the Hungarian claims harm bilateral relations. In its statement, Ukraine’s foreign ministry also urged Hungary to stop what it called “aggressive, anti-Ukraine rhetoric,” and indicated that Ukraine is ready for constructive cooperation with Hungary. The statement specifically emphasized that, in Kyiv’s view, the Hungarian side is trying to draw Ukraine into domestic political disputes—something Ukraine rejects.

International context: EU and war-policy disputes in the background

International reporting has long highlighted that relations between Hungary and Ukraine have been strained in recent years over a number of issues, such as EU support packages for Ukraine and disputes surrounding sanctions, as well as Ukraine-related matters. According to international accounts, issues related to Ukraine—such as the war-versus-peace narrative—regularly appear in Viktor Orbán’s campaign as the Hungarian parliamentary election approaches, while the government takes a critical stance toward several EU steps affecting Ukraine.