Ukrainian Foreign Ministry to summon Hungarian ambassador over Orban's remark

MOSCOW. Jan 30 (Interfax) - The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry will summon the Hungarian ambassador for a frank conversation in the wake of a remark on Ukraine by Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, ministry spokesman Oleg Nikolenko said.

The media said Orban had compared Ukraine to Afghanistan and called it a no man's land.

"This is yet another disparaging remark on Ukraine by Viktor Orban. Statements of the kind are absolutely unacceptable. Budapest keeps pursuing the course towards intentional destruction of Hungarian-Ukrainian relations by suspending the possibility of further dialogue between the two neighboring countries. The Hungarian ambassador will be summoned to the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry for a frank conversation," the Ukrainian media quoted Nikolenko as saying on a social network.

The ministry added that it reserved the right to other forms of response.

Orban told reporters in Budapest he did not believe in Ukraine's victory and thought that Ukraine "is gradually turning into uncontrollable ruins." He also said that Ukraine had become a no man's land, just like Afghanistan.