One of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s closest aides is facing backlash over statements he made suggesting that Hungary, unlike Ukraine, would not have defended itself against a Russian invasion.

The Hungarian government is unlikely to respond to military aggression from Russia with resistance. Budapest considers opposing the invasion, as Ukraine has done, to be irresponsible, states Balázs Orbán,

Hungary, unlike Ukraine, would not have defended itself against a Russian invasion - said Balázs Orbán, head of the political cabinet of the Hungarian Prime Minister. - We probably would not have done what President Zelensky did two and a half years ago because it is irresponsible - he added.

Balázs Orbán made comparisons between the 1956 Hungarian Uprising and Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in early 2022, which didn't sit well with the opposition at home.

If it were in Ukraine's shoes, Budapest wouldn't have fought the Russians, said Prime Minister Viktor Orbán's top aide. Balázs Orbán, the political director of his namesake (but no relation to him), was a guest on a podcast on Wednesday where he talked about Ukraine's self-defense against Russian aggression.