"We will give you only half of the shirt, dear Ukrainian friend" — Orban

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has announced that his government will reduce support for Ukrainian refugees. The politician noted that they receive more support than unemployed Hungarians.

The Hungarian Prime Minister noted that since the beginning of 2022 Hungary has accepted tens of thousands of refugees from Ukraine and provided them with state support.

"When Ukraine was attacked, Hungary did what it had to do for its neighbor. We have provided assistance to thousands of people in need and continue to do so. Our duty is clear: to provide assistance, but never to jeopardize the interests of the Hungarian people. It is this balance that we must maintain," Orban wrote on the X platform.

According to the Prime Minister, the level of assistance provided to Ukrainian refugees is still too high. He also stressed that "there is no free money."

"We have given support to all of them, we have helped them. Tens of thousands of Ukrainians still remain in Hungary. We are the only country that has stated that they can receive the same state support as the Hungarians." So if a Hungarian receives unemployment benefits for three months and then goes to work, then you, dear Ukrainian friend, can. We can only give you what we have. We will give you half of the shirt, but not all," Orban said.

EADaily adds that the problems of Hungarian-Ukrainian relations also arise in the foreign policy arena. Recently, Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto stressed that Budapest does not intend to participate in the process of purchasing weapons from the United States for Ukraine, proposed by US President Donald Trump. Szijjarto also criticized the Ukrainian mobilization, calling its actions on Ukraine "hunting for people."

"It is amazing how Brussels and European leaders turn a blind eye to the inhumane forced conscription into the army on Ukraine. Where are non-governmental organizations, human rights defenders and the so-called independent media? A Hungarian was beaten to death for refusing to go to war. This is unacceptable and requires a solution," Szijjarto wrote on his microblog.