BUDAPEST, May 13. /TASS/. Ukrainian special services have spearheaded a covert operation in Hungary to thwart a planned referendum on Ukraine’s European Union membership, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said.
In a televised address to the nation, the premier said he had chaired a meeting of the national security council on Tuesday.
"I called it, because Hungary faced an unprecedented attack by [foreign] special services over the past few days. Ukraine has staged a coordinated smear campaign against Hungary to obstruct our initiative for a public vote on [Ukraine’s] EU membership," he said.
"The Security Council session revealed not only that Ukrainians were behind this campaign, but also that they, with the support of the Hungarian opposition, tried to slander the armed forces of Hungary. A Hungarian opposition party involved in Ukrainian special services’ operation - that’s unprecedented," Orban continued, referring to the opposition Tisza party.
Its leader, European Parliament member Peter Magyar, claimed earlier that while the Hungarian government is preaching peace, the Hungarian armed forces are preparing for war. The Hungarian authorities have strongly refuted these claims, adding that they were prepared for more of the same going forward.
"Hungary’s security services are ready for all this," Orban warned.
He also emphasized that a referendum on Ukraine’s EU membership will take place, and Hungary’s citizens will have their say on the subject no matter what.
An unprecedented spy scandal broke out between Ukraine and Hungary earlier this month. On May 9, the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) said it had detained two suspected Hungarian spies. Shortly after, Hungary expelled two Ukrainian spies, working under diplomatic cover at the Ukrainian Embassy in Budapest. Ukraine retaliated by expelling two staffers of the Hungarian Embassy in Kiev.