A senior adviser to Prime Minister Viktor Orbán sparked angry reactions by suggesting Hungary would be better off if it had not resisted the 1956 Soviet invasion while also making critical comments about Ukraine’s current efforts to counter Russian forces.

Orban, a nationalist who rose to fame in 1989 by calling for the withdrawal of Soviet troops from Hungary, said his adviser’s “ambiguous” statements were a mistake, while the Hungarian opposition leader condemned them as “treasonous”.

Balazs Orban, a political adviser to Viktor Orban, who is not related to the prime minister, said in an interview with the Mandiner website this week that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky acted irresponsibly in choosing to resist the Russian invasion in February 2022, sparking a war that has lead to many deaths.

“Looking back to 1956, we probably would not have done what President Zelensky did 2.5 years ago, as it is irresponsible, as we can see that he led his country into a defensive war, many lives were lost and territories were lost,” said advisor.

“To repeat, it is their right and their sovereign decision … but if we had been asked, we would not have recommended this, based on what happened in 1956,” he added.

Hungary’s 1956 anti-Soviet uprising was violently suppressed by the Red Army. The anniversary of the revolution, on October 23, is an important national anniversary for Hungarians.

Speaking on state radio today, the prime minister said it was important to speak “very carefully and very clearly” about such sensitive issues.

“Now my chief political adviser made an ambiguous statement that is wrong, as our community rests on the basis of the 1956 revolution, it comes from it,” said Orbán, who has made national sovereignty a cornerstone of his rule.

As in the past, Hungary “will always defend itself,” he added.

“Scandalous comments”

Orban has rattled Hungary’s NATO allies by maintaining strong economic ties with Russian President Vladimir Putin even after Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine. Hungary, under Orban, has refused to send weapons to Ukraine.

Balazs Orban did not respond to Reuters emailed questions. In a video posted on his Facebook page, he said his remarks were “deliberately misinterpreted,” adding that “the heroes of 1956 are national heroes and their memory is sacred.”

But his comments sparked a huge backlash in the opposition and the media, with Peter Mayar, a key figure in the Hungarian opposition, declaring on Facebook that the prime minister’s adviser “has no place in public life after his scandalous and treasonous comments ».

Majar said the councilor “degraded the memory of thousands of Hungarians who fought for freedom”.