Ukrainian mainstream, new age, and social media tore into Tuesday comments by Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán claiming he and his family are being targeted by Kyiv assassins, with more than a few news platforms reporting he and his government are being paid by Russia.
The video posted on Orbán’s official Facebook page showing him speaking on the telephone is here:
During a conversation purported to be with his daughter Róza Orbán, the Hungarian leader is sitting at a table in shirtsleeves, with soft piano playing in the background, saying in part (unofficial translation):
“Listen, you have probably heard in the news that the Ukrainians have now threatened not only me, but you as well. Specifically, my family, children, and grandchildren. Well, I’m calling you only about that, so that you won’t be afraid. If there is something not right, or you see something, tell me. I think it should be taken seriously. But you shouldn’t be afraid, OK? Well, fine, take care of yourself.”
In a subsequent stand-up while wearing a blazer, Orbán speaks to a camera directly, saying in part:“Well, at such moments, a family comes together. They are doing alright. I ask all to take this [Ukrainian threats] seriously. But don’t be afraid. They [Orbán’s family] haven’t been frightened. Even though all of this is not normal for our life. We will think of something. How to adapt to it. Probably my wife will play an important role.”
The background piano plays on throughout the 55-second video. Aside from Orbán’s Tuesday claim, there is no credible evidence of Ukrainian state intent to harm Orbán or members of his family.
Orbán’s Facebook warning was released exactly one month before national elections scheduled in Hungary on April 12. Most polls project Orbán’s nationalist/pro-Russia Fidesz party ten to twelve points behind the opposition Tisza party. Led by Péter Magyar, a centrist politician, Tisza looks to reverse state support to oligarch businesses and crackdowns on independent press pushed by the Fidesz regime, with pro-Europe and reform policies.
Ukrainian media was quick to air the Orbán video in full, with news platforms large and small publishing headlines and content at least uncomplimentary to the Hungarian leader and his claims, and often worse.
Ukraine’s very mainstream TSN channel, one of the biggest television broadcasters in the country, headlined an evening report: “Orbán frightens his children with Ukrainians in a staged video. The Hungarian Prime Minister published footage of his alleged conversation with his wife and daughter, in which he theatrically talks about threats from Ukrainians.”
“Frankly Ukrainian-phobic…hypocritical… he pretends to be very excited, he rubs his forehead with his fingers, and warns them of the ‘danger’ due to ‘threats from Ukrainians…’ Orbán also pompously stated that the Ukrainian leader’s words did not concern him personally, but the entire country,” the TSN report said in part.
For viewers interested in more detail, TSN offered a link to a recent AI-heavy Orbán campaign video showing Hungarian soldiers kneeling in the mud and being executed, as a voiceover calls on Hungarians to vote Fidesz so that Hungary might remain at peace. The execution video was another example of Orbán’s campaign managers trying to frighten voters into casting ballots for Fidesz, the TSN report said.
Ukraine’s mainstream UNIAN news agency covered the video and also offered subscribers thorough background reporting on the poor state of Ukrainian-Hungarian relations, including fresh information about an ongoing dispute over Russian crude oil shipments no longer crossing Ukrainian territory to Hungary, another ongoing dispute about more than $84 million in cash and gold bars owned by a Ukrainian bank and impounded by Orbán’s police, Hungary’s recent veto of EU military assistance to Ukraine, and a recent interview of Volodymyr Zelensky with the US publication Politico in which the Ukrainian leader minced no words to dub Orbán “a real friend of Russia.”
Only a few Ukrainian news outlets, and editors employed by them, on Wednesday and Thursday seemed able to resist snark and sarcasm. A rare neutral report written by Yulia Shcherbiy of the Apostrof news and information platform summarized: “Ahead of Hungary’s parliamentary elections on April 12, the opposition Tisza party retains its lead, but the gap with Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s Fidesz party has narrowed somewhat.”
The great majority of reporting was, in contrast, openly hostile to Orbán and either directly questioned whether he was telling the truth or just designated him a liar and a tool in the pay of the Kremlin.
The nationally published RBC-Ukraine news agency headlined its Orbán story: “He invented it himself – he scared his family: Orbán complained about ‘threats’ from Ukrainians.” The article spelled out to readers what the news agency considered was going on:
“It should be noted that Orbán’s statements appeared against the background of his systematic anti-Ukrainian rhetoric and blocking of European initiatives to help Ukraine. Orbán’s actions, rather, can be seen as an attempt to once again discredit Ukraine in the eyes of Hungarian society, portraying it as an “aggressor” that encroaches on the safety of civilians and the children of politicians. It is worth noting that no official Ukrainian agency or European intelligence agency has confirmed the facts of threats to the Hungarian Prime Minister’s family,” that article said in part.
Individual journalists and non-legacy Ukrainian media were even more impolite.
Andriy Tsaplienko, a leading Ukrainian war correspondent, in a Thursday comment on the video on his personal Telegram page was to the point and trenchant: “Putin’s cronies, who are losing the elections in Hungary, are trying to hold on to power with such pre-election performances.” Tsaplienko completed the post with a clown emoji.
Operativniy ZSU, the unofficial Telegram channel for Ukraine’s normally staid and stuffy top military command group the General Staff probably in a coincidence also evoked clowns in its reporting of Orbán’s concerns as expressed on Facebook: “Orbán has a pre-election strategy: To win votes not on economic successes, but on skillfully playing the role of the ‘main victim’ in Putin’s circus.”
Besides insults, the Orbán video was often profiled in Ukrainian media as more evidence that Hungary’s real controllers are in Moscow. The platform Ukraine National News on Thursday offered up a special report on alleged direct links between the Orbán regime and the Kremlin, informing readers that a Russian media manipulation operation is in progress to discredit his opponents and – if the campaign works – keep him in power in Hungary.
The report identified the Russian Agency for Social Planning (ASP) as the lead Kremlin institution in the messaging operation and cited Ukrainian intelligence agents, reporting by Financial Times, and the research group Vsquare, stating that Russia’s government is actively supporting Orbán with agents and money to fix the upcoming Hungarian elections in his favor.
Orbán, in campaign statements, has said he supports close Russo-Hungarian relations but that he is a Hungarian first, and that he would not let any country dictate policy to Hungary.