May 29, 2022

Hungary on Alert


Hungary on Alert
Russian President Vladimir Putin (left) and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban (right) Wikimedia Commons, Presidential Press and Information Office

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban announced on May 24 that his country had declared a state of emergency because the Russian invasion of Ukraine poses a threat to Hungary

Hungary borders Ukraine and maintains close trade relations with both Ukraine and Russia. And the move comes after the European Union and others added additional sanctions on Russia.

The invasion has hurt Hungary's economy and resulted in budgetary shortfalls, as the country finds itself caught between Russian and European economic interests. Orban said sanctions could lead to a global economic crisis, and that the state of emergency seeks to protect Hungary from these effects.

The state of emergency begin at 12:01 a.m. on May 25. The nature of the emergency measures has not yet been determined, but it is another unexpected, authoritarian result of Russian aggression in Eastern Europe.

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