After Ukraine’s protest, Hungarian government removed video with Russian Crimea

Ukraine’s Charge d’Affaires in Hungary made an official demarche to the Hungarian side over a video with a map of Ukraine that did not show Crimea as Ukrainian territory. On Sunday, June 4, the Hungarian government removed the video but did not provide any comments.

This was reported by Telex.

The publication notes that the changed video, where Crimea belongs to Ukraine, was published on Saturday evening, but not on the government YouTube channel, but on the channel of analyst Andrénak Palóc. Later, the video was removed from the expert’s channel and published on the government’s website. 

The Hungarian government did not provide any comments on the video, but the old video depicting Crimea as part of the Russian Federation was removed from the network.

On June 3, the press service of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine reported on a video with an incorrect map of Ukraine, which was published on May 30 on the YouTube channel of the Hungarian government.

“On the instructions of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, Ukraine’s Charge d’Affaires in Hungary made an official demarche to the Hungarian side,” the statement said.

In addition, the Foreign Ministry also emphasized that the designation of the Crimean peninsula as a territory that is not part of Ukraine “contradicts the repeatedly stated position of the official Budapest on support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine within its internationally recognized borders.”

Ukrainian diplomats emphasize that Hungary must “stop provocations and comply with its international obligations as a member of the UN, EU, and NATO.”

“Playing along with Russia’s aggressive policy does not contribute to a faster restoration of peace in Europe, which the Hungarian government advocates in public,” the Foreign Ministry said.

Nevertheless, although the new version of the video designates Crimea as the territory of Ukraine, the message of the video remains the same. It is worth noting that the video is entirely consistent with Russian narratives. It does not explain the cause of the war, does not indicate that Russia has committed the crime of aggression, and the call for negotiations shows three flags – Ukraine, Russia, and the United States – as if the West were part of the conflict. This all fits logically into the framework of Russian propaganda, as do calls for a ceasefire or for Ukraine not to be provided with weapons for self-defense.