Hungarian Foreign Minister slams Ukrainian tennis player
Photo: Péter Szijjártó (Getty Images)
Ukrainian tennis player Oleksandra Oliynykova refused to shake hands with her Hungarian opponent, Anna Bondár, because Bondár had participated in a tournament in Russia after the start of the war. Hungary’s Foreign Minister, Péter Szijjártó, expressed outrage over this act, according to Szijjártó’s post.
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"Going to a tournament in Russia in December 2022 and accepting payment from Gazprom funds is, morally, the same as going to play a tournament in Nazi Germany in 1941 and receiving jewelry from Jews who were murdered in Auschwitz and Treblinka. The same evil, just 80 years later," Oliynykova explained.
Szijjártó commented on her statement, calling the Ukrainian tennis player’s behavior "outrageous and scandalous."
"When malicious people mix sports with geopolitics, it always leads to trouble and disgraceful situations. No normal person in the world can believe that athletes are responsible for politicians’ decisions," the Hungarian minister said.
He also criticized the comparison between Nazi Germany and Russia.
"The attempt to discredit Anna Bondár and the reference to Nazi parallels says more about the Ukrainian athlete herself," Szijjártó added.
Conflict between Ukraine and Hungary
Recently, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán sharply criticized Ukraine’s ambitions to join the EU. According to him, Budapest has no intention of supporting Kyiv’s EU membership for the next 100 years.
In response, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that forces seeking to weaken or undermine the EU are acting continuously, including within Europe.
Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha also backed Zelenskyy’s position, openly criticizing Orbán’s stance.
Orbán has additionally claimed that it’s unclear who attacked whom in the war between Ukraine and Russia. The cynical statement by the pro-Russian Hungarian Prime Minister came amid the EU’s decision on further financial support for Kyiv.
