Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán fired back at Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky following his criticism of Europe at the World Economic Forum in Davos, accusing him of personally targeting Hungary and European leaders while demanding more aid.
“Yesterday in Davos, President Zelensky crossed a line… He says the support sent to Ukraine is insufficient, the weapons are insufficient, and Europe’s determination is insufficient,” Orbán tweeted Friday.
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Speaking at Davos on Thursday, Zelensky called the EU “a beautiful but fragmented kaleidoscope of small and middle powers,” unprepared for Russian aggression and other global risks.
He warned that NATO relies too much on “faith” rather than action and criticized Europe for failing to support pro-democracy movements, citing Belarusian protests in 2020 as an example.
Orban ridiculed Brussels’ commitments to Ukraine – €800 billion for development and €700 billion for military spending over the next decade.
“President Zelensky has things all backwards, yet the Brusselians are eager to pay up,” Orban said, adding that Hungary will not fund Ukraine’s war efforts.
“Our people will not be made to foot the bill,” he said in a follow-up tweet.
Yesterday in Davos, President @ZelenskyyUa crossed a line.
There is nothing new in the fact that, as elections approach in Hungary, he once again placed the Hungarian government, and me personally, in his sights. What was surprising, however, was that in his speech he also…
— Orbán Viktor (@PM_ViktorOrban) January 23, 2026
Earlier on Thursday, Orbán also sent a blunt personal message to Zelensky: “It seems to me that we will not be able to come to an understanding. I am a free man who serves the Hungarian people. You are a man in a desperate position… Therefore, no matter how much you flatter me, we cannot support your war efforts,” he posted on X.
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Orbán has maintained closer ties with the Kremlin than most EU and NATO leaders since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion and has been a vocal critic of Zelensky and the EU’s wartime funding for Ukraine.
Hungary remains heavily reliant on Russian energy, even as the European Union works to reduce dependence on Moscow.
He continues to question the effectiveness of Western military aid to Kyiv, despite clear evidence of its impact, including Ukraine’s successful strikes against Russian oil infrastructure.