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PULSE POINTS
❓WHAT HAPPENED: A Hungarian-Ukrainian dual citizen was reportedly beaten to death during forced conscription in Ukraine.
👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Victim József Sebestyen, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, Ukrainian authorities, and European Union (EU) officials.
📍WHEN & WHERE: The incident occurred near the Hungarian border, reported in July 2025.
💬KEY QUOTE: “The victim belongs to our community, not only in the cultural and national sense of the word but also in terms of public law.” – Viktor Orbán
🎯IMPACT: The incident has heightened tensions between Hungary and Ukraine and raised questions about Ukraine’s EU and NATO membership aspirations.
IN FULL
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has strongly condemned the death of a Hungarian-Ukrainian dual citizen, József Sebestyen, who was allegedly beaten to death during forced conscription in Ukraine. He emphasized the importance of this issue, stating, “This must be taken seriously,” and noted the victim’s connection to Hungary culturally, ethnically, and in terms of public law.
Orbán criticized the cautious language of some news reports in relation to the incident, insisting that the individual was not merely a conscription casualty but was “beaten to death”. He called for a thorough investigation into the matter and stressed the need to support the victim’s family, while also questioning Ukrainian authorities.
Orbán, a European Union (EU) and NATO leader, highlighted the broader implications of the incident, connecting it to Ukraine’s desire for EU membership. He argued that a country where forced conscription can result in death should not be part of the EU.
“They say we create tension and damage Hungarian-Ukraine relations in vain. They say this after beating a a Hungarian citizen to death. Enough is enough,” he said, noting that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and European Commission President Ursula Von der Leyen are currently “discuss[ing] ways to prevent a Hungarian veto on Ukraine’s European Union accession.”
“A waste of time. No way. They should instead discuss how to prevent people from dying from forced conscription,” he said.
Orbán also dismissed Ukrainian military claims that the death was not due to abuse, labeling their explanation unsatisfactory. He reiterated the need for diplomacy and peace negotiations, rather than continued conflict, as the path forward.
In addition, Orbán opposed the idea of the EU taking out a loan to support Ukraine, arguing that Europe should focus on restoring its own economy instead. He stated, “Ukraine is a country at war, but this is not an excuse for everything. Ukrainians have no right to beat people to death during forced conscription.”
Hungary borders Ukraine, and the latter’s Transcarpathia region is home to a substantial population of ethnic Hungarians, stranded on the wrong side of the frontier as a result of repeated boundary shifts during the 20th century.
Image by Annika Haas (EU2017EE).
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