Szymon Szynkowski vel Sęk made the remark in a TV interview on Wednesday, Polish state news agency PAP reported.
“Hungary must rise to the challenge,” Szynkowski vel Sęk told private broadcaster TV Republika. "They must not close their eyes to the genocide in Bucha, Irpen and Hostomel, and they must act in solidarity with others."
He added that Hungary’s President János Áder would visit Poland in two weeks’ time.
Hungary to get one-year exemption from EU ban on Russian oil?
Szynkowski vel Sęk’s words came after it emerged that Hungary and Slovakia might be able to continue to import Russian oil until the end of 2023 despite a planned EU ban.
Earlier on Wednesday, the European Union’s executive proposed to phase out Russian oil by the end of this year, in the latest round of sanctions over the Kremlin’s invasion of Ukraine.
The European Commission then suggested a one-year exemption to Hungary and Slovakia, given their heavy reliance on Russian supplies, according to reports.
Otherwise these two countries could veto the proposed embargo, which needs to be approved by the EU’s 27 member states before it can take effect.
Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó said on Tuesday that his country "won’t support EU sanctions against Russia that would ban the import of Russian oil and gas.”
'Russia is not someone to work with in any way'
Szynkowski vel Sęk commented: “We’ll be talking to our Hungarian partners, urging them to have no illusions about Russia's plans.”
“They must not jeopardise our good contacts bilaterally and within the Visegrad Group by turning their eyes towards Russia,” he added.
He further said: “Today, Russia is not someone to work with in any way … some of the Hungarian politicians are beginning to realise it and hopefully those who make the final decisions are going to realise it, too.”
Poland’s senior politicians have criticised Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban over his stance on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Orban last month called Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky his “opponent,” expressed doubts over the Russian massacre of Ukrainian civilians in Bucha and voiced pro-Putin views, according to news reports.
Poland’s ruling Law and Justice (PiS) party leader Jarosław Kaczyński told reporters that his assessment of Orban’s statements was “unequivocally negative.”
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki condemned “the bad, inappropriate, harmful, hurtful words coming from the Hungarian capital.”
Polish ex-Prime Minister Donald Tusk, a former top EU official, has accused the Hungarian leader of “building Putin’s fifth column in Europe.”
Thursday is day 71 of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
(pm/gs)
Source: PAP, politico.eu