Hungary’s foreign ministry summoned Ukraine’s ambassador on Wednesday over what it called offensive comments from Kyiv regarding Budapest’s stance on Russia’s operation.

Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto, in comments released three days after nationalist Prime Minister Viktor Orban was re-elected, said Hungary had condemned Russia’s operation, acknowledged Ukraine’s sovereignty and taken in hundreds of thousands of refugees fleeing the war.

So it was “time for Ukrainian leaders to stop their insults directed at Hungary and acknowledge the will of the Hungarian people,” Szijjarto said in a statement, referring to Sunday’s landslide election win.

“This is not our war, so we want to and will stay out of it,” Szijjarto added, reiterating the stance announced earlier by Orban.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Tuesday said Orban feared Russia’s influence and would have to choose between Moscow and the “other world.”

Orban, who easily won what pollsters had until shortly before election day tipped to be a close vote, has condemned Russia’s operation in Ukraine and not vetoed European Union sanctions against Moscow.

But he has refrained from criticizing President Vladimir Putin directly and said he does not agree with sanctions, rejecting the idea of curbs on oil and gas imports from Russia, saying that would wreck Hungary’s economy.

Source: Agencies