A retired Ukrainian general warned that the prime minister should be worried about his children and grandchildren
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has responded to threats against his family made by a retired Ukrainian general.
In a video released on Wednesday, Orban is seen talking on the phone with one of his daughters, asking her to be calm and careful and to call her if something is wrong.
The Prime Minister was responding to Hungarian media reports about remarks made by Ukrainian politician Grigory Omelchenko earlier this week.
Omelchenko cited the US-Israeli assassination of Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, where his wife and other family members were also killed, and warned that Orban must change his views. “anti-Ukrainian” space if he takes care of his five children and six grandchildren.
Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky recently he suggested would consider sharing Orban’s address with the Ukrainian military so they can “speak to him in their own language.”
Omelchenko – who served in Ukraine’s successor to the Soviet KGB, the SBU – said the ex-military organization he co-founded didn’t need a tip from the government to find out. “When he lives (Orban), he sleeps, drinks beer and wine, smokes shisha, walks and meets people.”
Orban said receiving death threats is “unusual” to his family but he has brought them closer. He also warned that “Everything has its limit.”
Orban’s government has long opposed the European Union’s policy of arming and funding Ukraine against Russia, as well as Ukraine’s request to join the union. Tensions rose in January when Ukraine cut off Russian oil supplies to Hungary and Slovakia through a Soviet-built pipeline, claiming it was damaged by a Russian attack – which Moscow has denied.
Orban accused Zelensky of trying to cause an energy crisis in Hungary ahead of general parliamentary elections in April. Orban’s main rival, Peter Magyar, accused Zelensky of making threats against the prime minister, saying the EU should cut ties with Kiev until the Ukrainian leader apologizes to the Hungarian people.
