Hungary expels Ukrainian diplomat
Hungary declared the first Secretary of the Ukrainian Embassy in Budapest persona non-grata. The Ukrainian Ambassador in Hungary was duly informed, the press service of the Hungarian Foreign Ministry stated on Thursday, October 4. The employee of the Ukrainian Embassy was ordered to leave the country within 72 hours.
Earlier that day, Ukraine stated that the Hungarian Consul in the city of Berehove in the Zakarpattia region would be expelled. According to the Ministry’s press service, the Consul was engaged in activities that are not compatible with the status of a consular officer.
In September, Ukrainian media outlets reported about the issuance of Hungarian passports to Ukrainians within the territory of the consulate. They published a video of Ukrainian citizens taking a Hungarian oath of allegiance.
On September 27, Prosecutor General Yuriy Lutsenko said that the Security Service of Ukraine initiated criminal proceedings for the issuance of these passports.
The Foreign Ministry of Ukraine does not view the Hungarian government’s decision as a “mirror” response because the diplomats’ posts are not equal, Ministry Press Secretary Mariana Betsa stated. She added that the Ukrainian diplomat did not violate the Vienna Convention.
Foreign Minister of Ukraine Pavlo Klimkin said that Hungary’s reaction was inadequate. "We do not violate international law or Hungarian laws and we act as diplomats are expected to act. Our diplomat will work in the office of the Foreign Ministry in Uzhorod, they need reinforcement there for sure,” Klimkin wrote on Twitter.
The Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine, Oleksandr Turchynov accused Hungary of “the attempt to raise its rating" through provocative actions, Ukrayinski Novyny reported.