In a move that further isolates Hungary within the European Union, Prime Minister Viktor Orban has accused Ukraine of conducting a covert intelligence operation against his government. The Hungarian leader claimed the operation involved an opposition party and framed it as part of a broader “smear campaign” designed to prevent a planned referendum on EU membership.
This incendiary rhetoric follows a report from Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU), which recently exposed an espionage network connected to Hungarian military intelligence operating in Ukraine’s Zakarpattia region. The Ukrainian revelation was significant: it marked the first time such a network, tied directly to Budapest, was publicly dismantled.
Rather than addressing the implications of this development, Orban appears to be doubling down on nationalist messaging, portraying Hungary as a victim of Western and Ukrainian interference. In a Facebook post, he summoned Hungary’s Defense Council and wrote:
“This has never happened before! A Hungarian opposition party is actively involved in a foreign intelligence operation. Hungarian services are prepared. Neither Brussels nor Kyiv will decide the fate of the Hungarian people.”
Observers say the accusations are not only unsubstantiated, but politically timed. With Hungary drifting further from the EU mainstream and maintaining ties with Moscow, Orban has found himself increasingly at odds with other European leaders over support for Ukraine and democratic values.
Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto added fuel to the fire by expelling two Ukrainian diplomats accused of espionage. Ukraine responded with reciprocal expulsions, deepening the diplomatic rift.
Analysts believe Orban’s anti-Ukrainian outburst is less about actual espionage and more about domestic politics — a strategic distraction from his illiberal governance, economic stagnation, and controversial foreign policy choices. By crafting an external enemy, Orban consolidates internal power while undermining European unity in support of Ukraine.
As the EU continues to support Kyiv in its defense against Russian aggression, Orban’s positioning threatens to erode the bloc’s coherence at a critical geopolitical moment. This latest episode is a reminder that the Kremlin’s influence doesn’t stop at Ukraine’s borders — it may be gaining footholds inside the EU itself.
