Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban claimed that famous artists and Hollywood stars allegedly received multimillion-dollar payments from USAID for their trips to Kyiv. According to the politician, celebrities did not come out of genuine sympathy for Ukrainians but because they were paid millions of euros or dollars. However, Orban did not provide any specific names or evidence.
It is known that at different times, Angelina Jolie, Sean Penn, Jessica Chastain, Jean-Claude Van Damme, Orlando Bloom, and other media personalities visited Ukraine. In Orban’s view, their visits were part of a certain “PR campaign” funded by foreign sponsors.
However, it is noteworthy that the Hungarian Prime Minister has made similar statements before, which align with the Kremlin’s stance. Many political analysts point out that Orban’s position seems too closely linked to Russia’s interests to be considered mere diplomacy. It creates the impression that the Hungarian leader is “on the payroll” of the “tsar,” echoing rhetoric favorable to Moscow.
There is no official confirmation of such conclusions yet, but Orban’s statements regularly raise doubts about his independence and cast doubt on the true reasons behind his criticism of Ukraine and its Western partners.
