Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban blamed his Polish counterpart Donald Tusk of trying to distract from his political difficulties at home and the unpopular war in Ukraine by attacking Hungary.

He is doing this because he is in big trouble at home. His party lost the presidential election, his government is unstable, and he is trailing in the polls. Together with Manfred Weber, he has become one of the loudest warmongers in Europe — yet his war policy is failing: Ukraine is running out of European money, and the Polish people are tired of the war. He cannot change course because he has turned Poland into a vassal of Brussels. He is now in panic mode, persecuting his political opponents and criticising Hungary’s pro-peace stance in an attempt to distract from his own domestic problems. This is so sad. The historic friendship between Hungary and Poland deserves better. I cannot and will not support Tusk’s warmongering. Hungary is following a different path — a path of peace. The Hungarian people refuse to become vassals of Brussels. It is time for Mr. Tusk to accept this — and to mind his own business, Orban said.

The Hungarian Prime Minister also welcomed former Polish Justice Minister Zbigniew Ziobro to Budapest. Like many other officials of the opposition PiS party, Ziobro is facing politically motivated charges.