Steven N.Katalin Novák took her first trip as Hungarian head of state to Warsaw, delivering a speech in the Polish capital following her inauguration on Saturday. Unlike Viktor Orbán, she was able to say the Russian President’s name as she said that Hungary condemned Putin’s aggression. The new President held talks with her Polish counterpart, President Andrzej Duda, Sejm President Elżbieta Witek, and Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki.
The main topic of discussion was the war in Ukraine, according to state-run television M1, who accompanied the President. The Hungarian head of state explained that Hungary would forever say no to any attempt to restore the Soviet Union, that we all have an interest in a long-term peace, and that we must stand up for innocent Ukrainians.
Novák also mentioned Putin’s aggression in her inauguration speech in Kossuth Square on Saturday, and posted about it on her Facebook page.
The post caused a great amount of disappointment to those who had become accustomed to the Russian propaganda echoed in Hungary over the last decade, with many commenters mentioning Putin’s friendship, Ukraine’s alleged war crimes, and the responsibility of NATO and the United States for the war.
The head of state also said in her speech on Saturday that her first official trip would be to Poland, in addition to talking about investigating war crimes, supporting Ukraine’s EU membership, and Hungary’s readiness to play a mediating role between Russia and Ukraine. [HVG]
