Askold Lozynskyj
I would like to believe that most Americans are at least a little embarrassed by American support for a rogue authoritarian thug who is currently the Prime Minister of Hungary. In what must be an unprecedented move, on taxpayer money, America’s hillbilly vice president traveled to Budapest to campaign for this criminal and his shady regime, the Fidesz political party. At a recent rally with Viktor Orban, J. D. Vance pulled out a phone and transmitted a message of support for Orban from his boss, the similarly criminal Donald J. Trump.
According to independent polls the opposition is currently in the lead in Hungary, but that means very little in Hungarian pseudo elections under Fidesz and Orban. This is an authoritarian regime. America has given a green light to a deeply flawed and undemocratic election process, redefining America’s role as the leader of the democratic world and suggesting a new axis of evil consisting of America, Hungary and Russia.
The Hungarian election this Sunday is important in many ways for Hungary, Ukraine and all of Europe, particularly the European Union. Orban, Fidesz and Hungary are clearly enemies of Ukraine. Their anti-Ukrainian activity is surpassed only by Putin and Trump. The re-election of Fidesz would be the antithesis of the heroic Hungarian revolution of 1956 and would mean a decade and one half of authoritarian pro Russian rule.
The Ukrainian global community outside Ukraine considers itself a diaspora, meaning a community with a political purpose to help Ukraine and its people. In almost every country where Ukrainians reside there is an organizational structure. There are several in Hungary, a coordinating body covering the communities of Europe, entitled the European Congress of Ukrainians and a global umbrella covering the Western hemisphere and marginally the Eastern one, entitled the Ukrainian World Congress. As to functioning as a diaspora these three structures have been almost entirely ineffective.
Currently with Orban at the helm, the Ukrainian community in Hungary, the ECU, and the UWC have been entirely missing in action. They have noted the problem that Orban and Fidesz represent and embraced a strategy of doing nothing, not even vocalizing their opposition. The fact that doing nothing is not a strategy has been brought to their attention on many occasions. I have friends in these structures and frankly I have voiced my disappointment over and over to no effect. Fecklessness is their strategy.
On March 30, I visited the western Ukrainian city of Ivano-Frankivsk where I gave a lecture on “Contemporary Challenges of International law” at the Carpathian National University. Following the lecture my wife and I were invited to lunch by the President of the University. Attending the luncheon was the former President of the University and former Ukrainian diplomat in Poland and an acquaintance of mine over some 9 years, the Honorary Consul of Hungary. His father was a friend of mine despite our political differences. The father was a benevolent Soviet man, a supporter of such disreputable Ukrainian presidents as Leonid Kuchma and the ousted Viktor Yanukovych.
The son is a local Ukrainian with to the best of my knowledge no connection to Hungary other than his honorary position. His father used to be the Governor of the Ivano-Frankivsk region. To the best of my knowledge the son’s prominence stems from his legacy. I have never inquired as to his nexus with Hungary and in particular with Fidesz.
Given Orban’s vitriolic antipathy towards Ukraine, his alliance with Ukraine’s brutal enemy Russia and Vladimir Putin, I expected my friend to have been disabused of Orban and Fidesz and to have resigned his honorary position. Not even close. Much to my dismay my friend was more Fidesz than Ukrainian. He defended Orban and Hungary and made accusations against Ukraine and the Ukrainian people. The former president of the University and Ukrainian diplomat was diplomatic but indisputably sided with the Hungarian bullhorn. I did speak up but not full voice which I now regret. Frankly, I am very much embarrassed to continue the charade that he was my friend. No more! For me he is a traitor.
I recall a salient moment long ago at a religious service which I attended. I was particularly affected by the priest’s sermon. He stressed that simply conforming to avoid conflict and failing to act against evil was a mortal sin. We are all sinners, but some sins simply cannot be forgiven.
April 8, 2026