Kremlin has no reason not to trust Hungarian leadership - Russian ambassador to Hungary

Asked about Hungary's earlier claim that Ukraine was trying to interfere in the electoral race, hoping Prime Minister Viktor Orbán would be defeated, Stanislavov cited information in the pro-government Hungarian press that there were "behind-the-scenes contacts between representatives of the united opposition and the Ukrainian leadership."

He cited Hungary's Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó "verifying" such reports, confirming that the opposition activists had promised that if they win, they will send troops and weapons to Ukraine, and will stop cooperation with Russia in the energy sector.

Orbán's election campaign was turned upside down when Russian attacked Ukraine on 24 February. Facing a unified bloc of six opposition parties for the first time, he had to adapt quickly, and overhauled the entire narrative, which in the end boiled down to an extremely simple message: Orbán = Peace, Opposition = War; Orbán = Cheap Energy, Opposition = No Gas.

The fact is that Péter Márki-Zay, the head of the United for Hungary opposition bloc, only said that being a member of NATO Hungary needs to carry out decisions made jointly by NATO allies, including sending weapons to Ukraine.

"Whatever the NATO alliance system allows, we would be very happy to help. Obviously, if Hungary were not acting as Putin's agent, then Hungary, as a member of NATO, could naturally provide all kinds of assistance and support to Ukraine in any way that NATO decides within the framework of the alliance," he told opposition programme Partizán. The host, Márton Gulyás asked specifically, "Even soldiers?" "If NATO decides to do so, even soldiers. If NATO says "if NATO decides to do so, even if it wants to", he replied.

Márki-Zay stressed later on that NATO has no plans to send troops to Ukraine (note that it flatly rejected Zelensky's repeated pleas to impose a no-fly zone over his country), "so when we argue for strengthening the NATO alliance, we want to guarantee peace and security."

The "behind-the-scenes" contact the pro-government press and Stanislavov mentioned was a letter Márki-Zay sent to Zelensky via the Ukrainian Embassy in Budapest and which he also shared with the press. There was not a single word in this letter about Hungary sending arms or troops to Ukraine.

We unreservedly support the opening of [Ukraine's] accession negotiations with the European Union and will provide you with all the assistance you need in the accession process.

Stanislavov noted in the interview that "of course, the opposition denies everything", adding that

there are no reasons not to trust the Hungarian leadership, and Kiev's painful reaction to the scandal only confirms it once again.

He said that the Hungarian voters were "frightened by the local opposition of interference from Russia, while in fact they themselves became a channel for external interference in the parliamentary elections, but from Kyiv."

The ambassador also claims there was a phone conversation between the Ukrainian ambassador in Budapest and Minister Dmitriy Kuleba, during which they discussed possible ways of influencing the election results by joining efforts with the Hungarian opposition.

Stanislavov noted that apparently Márki-Zay and the leaders of the opposition parties even consulted Zelensky on the eve of his video speech before the European Council.

Asked about the series of Western sanctions on Russia and its consequences for the relationship between Moscow and Budapest, Stanislavov said "Hungary was forced to support" the EU sanctions

He admitted that these sanctions "do not contribute to the creation of favorable conditions for the successful and timely implementation" of the Paks 2 project.

In 2014, Hungary selected Russia's Rosatom, without a tender, to build two VVER-1200 reactors at the Paks nuclear power plant for EUR 12.5 billion. Russia is financing 80% of the cost of the units with a EUR 10 bn loan.

The ambassador also admitted that "certain adaptation of the course of its implementation will be necessary in view of the new realities", but added that "these are all solvable issues", because both parties feel are "focused on the final result that meets mutual interests."

Given Hungary's rejection of backing sanctions on Russian gas, oil and nuclear power plants, the Orbán government "has no reason" to change its position on this matter, "especially given the outcome of the elections."

Cover photo: Evgeny Arnoldovich Stanislavov, Russia's new ambassador to Budapest, arrives to receive his credentials in front of the Alexander Palace on 21 April 2021. MTI/Noémi Bruzák