At the 81st session of the UN General Assembly in New York, the President of Hungary, András Baka, compared the defence of Ukraine’s independence to the Hungarians’ struggle during the 1956 revolution. He condemned Russia’s full-scale aggression and reaffirmed his support for Ukraine’s sovereignty, its internationally recognised borders and its right to self-defence.
Briefly about the main points
- Baka linked Ukraine’s struggle for independence to the events of the 1956 Hungarian Revolution.
- The President condemned Russia’s full-scale aggression as a breach of international law.
- He supported the right of Ukrainians to determine their own future.
- According to Baki, lasting peace is impossible without respect for Ukraine’s sovereignty.
- The President did not announce any specific new package of military or financial aid.
A historical parallel with freedom and forced exile
Tank He recalled the anti-communist uprising by the Hungarians against the pro-Soviet regime. According to him, Ukraine is currently defending the very same right to remain an independent state for which the Hungarians fought.
«The freedom for which the Hungarians fought in 1956 is the very same freedom that we must defend today for the Ukrainians,» said the President. He also mentioned the countries that took in Hungarians forced to leave their homeland following the suppression of the revolution, and drew a parallel between that experience and Ukraine’s current situation.
The Hungarian uprising began on 23 October 1956, and the Soviet invasion on 4 November effectively sealed its defeat. Following the suppression of the revolution, around 200,000 Hungarian citizens left the country; more than 170,000 were resettled in over 30 countries.
Support for self-defence and internationally recognised borders
Text of the speech, published on 24 September on the website President of Hungary, condemns Russia’s full-scale war as a violation of the UN Charter and international law.
Baka reaffirmed his support for Ukraine’s right to self-defence, its sovereignty and territorial integrity within its internationally recognised borders. He also emphasised that the Ukrainian people must decide their own future.
Diplomacy and the conditions for lasting peace
The President expressed the hope that diplomacy would help to put an end to the bloodshed. At the same time, he stated that lasting peace requires respect for Ukraine’s sovereignty.
According to Baki, recognising the forcible seizure of territories as an acceptable means of resolving disputes would pose a threat to the future of other small states. The speech outlined the President’s political stance, but did not include any announcement of a new Hungarian package of military or financial aid for Ukraine.
