BUDAPEST, January 21. /TASS/. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said Ukraine is facing a worsened situation and is forced to seek help, so it has no right to dictate its terms to Central European countries.
Orban made the statement following talks in Bratislava with his Slovak counterpart Robert Fico, where they condemned Kiev’s decision to halt transit of Russian natural gas and reject talks with Slovakia to discuss the issue.
"The way Kiev is trying to build relations with Central European states is unacceptable. We are ready to respect them, but we demand respect for ourselves. And if we raise a serious issue, they should discuss it with us," Orban said at a news conference broadcast by Hungary’s M1 television.
He mentioned that Hungary and Slovakia are EU members, while Ukraine is still only a candidate for accession.
"There should be no confusion in positions. They cannot behave as if Bratislava and Budapest should dance to their tune. This is impossible," the prime minister said.
"They have lost a fifth of their country and their industry lies in ruins. They cannot sustain themselves, but they behave as if they are able to dictate their conditions to us. In reality, they are in the position of a seeker of help, but it take skills to ask for help," Orban went on to say.
According to the top Hungarian official, if Ukraine wants to achieve any success, it should settle relations with Hungary and Slovakia, show them some respect and behave in the way an EU accession candidate should.
"A different era is coming. Everyone has to assess their own situation. I have the impression that Kiev has not yet come to terms with the fact that the balance of power has radically changed and that Central European countries should be taken seriously," he said.