“The European Union cannot remain silent”: Orban urged Brussels to take action against forced mobilization in Ukraine

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has called on the European Union to take action against the “forced conscription” into the Ukrainian army.

The Hungarian politician made this statement in an interview on the Magyar Nemzet YouTube channel.

“You cannot give speeches about Ukraine’s suitability for EU membership and then, the next day, bury people who were beaten to death during forced conscription,” Orbán said.

This was his comment on the incident involving the death of an ethnic Hungarian who was beaten in a military recruitment center — an incident for which Hungary blames Ukraine.

Orbán stated that the Hungarian government is monitoring cases of Hungarians being drafted, knows how many have died, how many children have been orphaned, and is providing support to the affected families.

He emphasized that it is unacceptable “for people to be beaten to death in a country at war, and if the victim is also a citizen of an EU member state, then the European Union cannot remain silent.”

Earlier, Hungary summoned the Ukrainian ambassador over the death of József Sebestyén, a man from Zakarpattia who was mobilized and reportedly beaten to death with iron rods by military officials for refusing to serve.